Mexico to file U.S. criminal complaints over ICE custody deaths

Mexico plans to file criminal complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice and state prosecutors following the deaths of 17 Mexicans in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody or during agency operations since Donald Trump's second administration began. This action escalates the long-standing criticisms leveled against the immigration agency.

According to Mexican Foreign Secretary Roberto Velasco Álvarez, at least 58 individuals of various nationalities have died in ICE facilities. Recent cases, including that of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who died during an operation in Houston, Texas, and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero from Colombia, who died in Biddeford, Maine, have sparked protests and mobilizations by activists in several U.S. cities.

The ICE has once again become a focal point in the debate surrounding U.S. immigration policy and the extent of its authority. The agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), operates both within the U.S. and in border regions. It defines its mission as identifying criminal activities and eliminating vulnerabilities that threaten U.S. border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security.

Established on March 1, 2003, during George W. Bush's administration as part of a post-9/11 national security restructuring, ICE absorbed functions from the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the U.S. Customs Service. Its initial mandate was to enhance national security and prevent terrorist threats within the United States. The agency's power and budget have grown significantly, making it a key instrument in Trump's immigration strategy.