Mexico requests criminal charges in US over migrant deaths
Mexico will formally ask US prosecutors to file criminal cases over the deaths of at least 17 Mexican nationals during immigration operations or in custody since Donald Trump returned to office.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday that the government will formally request US prosecutors to file criminal charges following the deaths of several Mexican citizens during immigration operations. The most recent incident involved Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a raid in Houston on July 7. Salgado is the 17th Mexican national to have died since Trump returned to the White House last year.
During her daily press conference, Sheinbaum called on all Mexican society to show solidarity with the victims, emphasizing that the country cannot remain silent when human rights violations occur. She stressed that Mexico does not seek conflict with the US but must defend its citizens.
This marks Mexico's strongest response yet to deaths linked to Trump's immigration enforcement. Previous protest letters to Washington yielded no results. Sheinbaum is in a delicate position: Trump has used tariffs to pressure Mexico, refused to renew a major trade deal, and authorized direct CIA intervention against drug cartels. Despite this, Sheinbaum has avoided open confrontation, cooperating with Washington on drug trafficking and migration while insisting on Mexico's sovereignty. This approach has earned her an approval rating of around 68% at home.
