Mexico Seeks Criminal Charges After Deaths in US Immigration Custody

The diplomatic push follows the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national who lived in the US for over thirty years and was killed by an ICE agent in Houston earlier this week. Sheinbaum described the incident as a targeted act, stating that her government can no longer remain silent regarding the rising toll of fatalities under current detention policies.

A report by Physicians for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch highlights that mortality rates in ICE custody have more than doubled since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. With 71,000 individuals held in detention as of January 2026, the data indicates that deaths are occurring at a frequency nearly four times higher than during the Biden administration. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has echoed these concerns, calling for independent investigations into the lack of transparency surrounding these deaths and demanding accountability for potential legal violations.