Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration will formally protest the death of a national under ICE custody.
Speaking on her daily press conference on Monday, Sheinbaum claimed that the protest will focus in Los Angeles, where several incidents have taken place, some of them in the Adelanto processing center.
Another death was communicated by ICE after Sheinbaum's conference. Concretely, Jose Guadalupe Ramos, also at the Adelanto center, was found unresponsive in his bunk on March 25.
Staff called on-site medical personnel and was taken to an area hospital where he was later declared dead. His is the 14th death of a Mexican national under ICE custody.
ICE described Guadalupe Ramos as a "criminal illegal alien," noting that he was "previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance and theft."
The agency added that, when receiving a health and physical evaluation during his intake screening, it "identified several medical issues, including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension." "He received constant medical care while he was in custody, including daily medication to treat his illness," the statement adds.
Before the latest death, the Mexican government was already demanding g its U.S. counterpart to conduct extensive investigation into the deaths of all nationals who died under ICE custody during the administration.
Concretely, Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente said the deaths are "unacceptable." 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."
Mexico's consulate in Miami this month 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.
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