Mexican Government Says Over a Dozen Nationals Have Died Under ICE Custody: 'Unacceptable'

The Mexican government is demanding its U.S. counterpart to conduct extensive investigation into the deaths of over a dozen nationals who have died under ICE custody since the beginning of the Trump administration.

Concretely, Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente said the death of 13 nationals is "unacceptable," and President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration has "expressed it in different ways."

"The response is that there will be an investigation and we will keep insisting that there must be an investigation to learn the cause," she added.

The latest such death was that of 19-year-old Royer Perez-Jimenez, who passed away on March 16 at the Glades County Detention Center.

The foreign ministry said it expects U.S. authorities to "clarify the circumstances that led to this death, determine responsibilities and establish effective guarantees of non-repetition."

"Again, we are sending a much stronger diplomatic letter over the matter. The report is that the young man killed himself, but we want an extensive investigation. This can't be happening," Sheinbaum said about the death.

Mexico's consulate in Miami last week activated its consular protection protocol, visited the detention facility and formally requested reports and documentation related to the case. The government said it will pursue "all legal and diplomatic avenues" to support the victim's family and press U.S. officials to address "the conditions that facilitate this type of incident."

Mexico raised similar concerns in early March when the Foreign Ministry said it would "formally ask the investigation of the systemic conditions that led for such regrettable events to take place" following the death of another Mexican national in ICE custody in California.

Officials requested clinical records and custody reports and emphasized that "the protection of human rights of Mexican people abroad is a priority," while providing assistance to the victim's family. So far, authorities said, there has been no response to all letters sent seeking clarification of the circumstances of the deaths.