Mexico will demand criminal complaints in the United States for the deaths of more than a dozen Mexican migrants in immigration detention and those killed in anti-migrant operations, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday.
Outrage over killing in Houston
The deaths include last week's killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, whom Sheinbaum said was "practically murdered". "It's a case that sparks outrage among all Mexicans," the Mexican president said during her morning news conference. "We cannot simply continue with diplomatic letters that have yielded no results."
A total of 17 Mexican citizens have died since Donald Trump began his migrant crackdown: 14 people in detention and another three who, like Salgado Araujo, were killed during immigration operations. Salgado Araujo was shot and killed on 7 July as he headed to work along with his brother and two other men.
Contradicting official claims
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has insisted that Salgado Araujo "weaponized" his vehicle and attempted to hit an ICE officer, but that claim has been contradicted by the three other men in the car. Salgado Araujo had lived in the US for nearly 35 years and did not have any criminal history. Authorities in Houston have launched their own investigation into the incident.
From diplomatic letters to legal demands
Sheinbaum has frequently called for the human rights of Mexican citizens in the US to be respected and has sent several diplomatic letters to Washington complaining of migrant deaths. But in the wake of Salgado Araujo's killing, Sheinbaum said her government would demand the filing of complaints with US federal and local courts on Monday. The request, which carries no legal weight, will be submitted to state prosecutors' offices and the US Department of Justice, asking them to consider criminal charges against those responsible for the deaths.
"This is not about creating conflict. Far from it," Sheinbaum said. "But neither can we, as a government and as Mexican men and women, say, 'Let's not say anything so there won't be any problem with our relationship with President Trump's government.'"
Strained US-Mexico relations
Relations between Mexico and the US have become increasingly strained in recent months. In April, reports emerged that CIA agents were operating in Mexico without the federal government's authorization or knowledge, a violation of the country's constitution. Then later that same month, the US justice department announced charges against the governor of Sinaloa and nine other current and former Mexican officials, accusing them of alleged ties to the Sinaloa cartel and of aiding in the massive importation of illicit narcotics into the United States. Sheinbaum has so far refused to hand Governor Rubén Rocha Moya over to US authorities, citing a lack of evidence against him.
