Mexico's Criminal Lawsuit Over Migrant Deaths Called '17 Deaths Too Late'

The deaths of 17 Mexican migrants during operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are not accidental but are part of a deliberate strategy to instill fear among foreigners, prompting them to surrender or self-deport, according to migrant leaders, academics, and international relations experts in the United States.

These experts view Mexico's announcement of criminal charges in these cases as a positive shift in presidential discourse. However, they also contend that this announcement comes "17 deaths too late" and question its effectiveness, suggesting it might remain a media spectacle without a clear legal route to justice. Carlos Arango, president of the National Migrant Front in the United States, pointed to a pattern of alleged ICE misconduct, citing incidents in Houston, Illinois, and California where migrants were killed after ICE agents claimed they were run over by vehicles.

Arango described these actions as a "terror strategy" against migrants, fueled by increased ICE budgets, armament, expanded raid powers, and a hostile rhetoric from figures like Donald Trump. He also highlighted the role of private detention centers, which he claims profit from holding migrants in inhumane conditions for weeks or months, leading to deaths from lack of medical care or alleged suicides. This, he argues, is another facet of the "terror strategy" employed against migrants, regardless of their nationality.