The Mexican government has filed 20 legal complaints with state and county prosecutors in the United States regarding the deaths of 17 Mexican nationals who died since May during operations or while in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This move marks an escalation in Mexico’s efforts to demand accountability in these cases.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) reported that the complaints were filed on July 13 by Mexico’s ambassador to the United States, Roberto Lazzeri, in the jurisdictions where the deaths occurred. These include eight complaints filed with state prosecutor offices and twelve with county prosecutor offices across Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas.

In addition to these legal filings, the Mexican Embassy submitted a formal request to the US Department of Justice on July 14, via the Department of State, conveying a report prepared by Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR). The request formally calls for investigations into all 17 cases and demands updates on the status of these inquiries.

The Foreign Ministry clarified that these actions are part of the follow-up to measures announced on July 9 by President Claudia Sheinbaum, following the Mexican government’s reports of 17 deaths of Mexican nationals in ICE operations or detention centers since May of this year.

Furthermore, Ambassador Lazzeri held meetings last week with officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE. He conveyed the Mexican government’s deep concern regarding conditions within detention centers, including those managed by private entities, and demanded a thorough investigation into each death.

In parallel, Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Álvarez sent a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk. The letter requests that the UN body gather information through formal inquiries to the United States, assess whether these events align with international human rights standards, and issue recommendations to prevent similar incidents.

The ministry added that the consular network continues to provide legal support to the victims’ families, while assisting with the repatriation of remains and other requests from the families.

These new actions follow an incident on Friday in which the United States returned to the Mexican government the letters expressing concern over immigration operations and the treatment of Mexican nationals in ICE custody.

Michael Kozak, a senior official at the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, argued that the letters attempted to direct the actions of US personnel on sovereign territory and recommended that Mexico raise its concerns through traditional diplomatic channels.

Bilateral tensions intensified following the death of 52-year-old Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who died on July 7 in Houston, Texas, after being shot by an ICE agent during an immigration operation. This event has escalated Mexico’s demands regarding the treatment of migrants in the custody of US authorities.