Thirteen Mexican citizens have died while in the custody of U.S. authorities in immigration-related matters during the current Trump administration, Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry reported Wednesday, calling the situation “unacceptable.”
The causes of the deaths are still under investigation, but Deputy Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Velasco said two occurred during ICE operations, four were suicides and one was the result of a shooting into ICE installations that happened to hit a Mexican in custody. The other six deaths were from medical complications.
Velasco said that the victims ranged in age from 19 to 69 and suffered their fate in several different states across the nation, from California to Florida. He added that two lawsuits have already been filed by family members, while the remaining cases are under legal review.
“We seek justice for the families of these people who very sadly lost their lives,” said Velasco.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, who had earlier demanded a full U.S. investigation into the death of a 19-year-old Maya man in the United States, also condemned the deaths of fellow Mexicans while detained by U.S. authorities. “We have stated that we do not agree with these forms of detention (…) and we will continue to insist that the cases be investigated to determine the causes of death,” she said during her Wednesday morning press conference.
Foreign Relations Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente said that his ministry has responded to the detention of 177,192 Mexicans since the beginning of Trump’s second term by strengthening its network of 53 consulates in the U.S. to improve services and better protect Mexican citizens. As of today, 13,722 remain in custody in the U.S.
“We are trying to standardize all consular services so that there can be more efficient, timely and consistent attention in the largest consular network in the world,” Juan Ramón said, pointing out that “no other country has as many consulates in another country as Mexico has in the United States.”
The modernization and digitization of Mexico’s consular network have helped to increase capacity and reduce the need for in-person visits, he said.
Over 31 million pesos (US $1.7 million) has been allocated to the “Mexico with M for Migrant” program, which supports the legal processes of Mexican nationals living abroad.
With reports from El Economista and Milenio
