Mexico to Seek Criminal Charges in U.S. Courts Over Deaths of Its Citizens in ICE Operations
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will ask U.S. prosecutors to bring criminal charges after more than a dozen Mexican nationals died in ICE raids or custody, including the recent shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
Mexico announced it will formally request that U.S. prosecutors file criminal charges related to the deaths of Mexican citizens in immigration enforcement actions. President Claudia Sheinbaum made the statement on Monday, following the July 7 shooting of 17-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent during a raid in Houston. Salgado is the 17th Mexican national to die in such incidents since President Donald Trump returned to office last year.
"This is not just a matter for the Mexican government. I call on all political parties, everyone, all of Mexican society, to show solidarity with our fellow citizens in the United States," Sheinbaum said at her daily press briefing.
Sheinbaum added that Mexico does not seek conflict with the United States but insists on speaking out against what she described as human-rights violations. Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco also confirmed plans to request criminal charges in the United States.
The move represents the most forceful diplomatic step Mexico has taken over the deaths linked to U.S. immigration enforcement, after earlier protests and letters to Washington yielded no response. The request comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries over trade, tariffs and other policy disputes.