Mexico asks U.S. state prosecutors to investigate deaths of migrants who died in ICE custody

Mexico’s government has asked U.S. state attorneys to open criminal investigations into the deaths of Mexican migrants who died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody during President Donald Trump’s second term, according to a report from The Hill published Tuesday. The request centers on whether criminal wrongdoing occurred in connection with deaths during immigration enforcement operations, the report said.

The Mexican request asks prosecutors in the states to examine cases involving Mexican nationals who died during immigration enforcement actions, including deaths that occurred while detainees were in ICE custody, The Hill reported. The report said at least 17 Mexican nationals have died during immigration enforcement operations throughout Trump’s second term, and that 14 of those deaths occurred while the individuals were held in ICE custody.

The Hill reported that Mexico’s request is directed to state criminal authorities rather than only federal agencies. That matters because criminal jurisdiction and investigative authority can vary depending on where events occurred, who the potential defendants are, and what claims can be supported under state criminal law, while immigration enforcement detention is generally governed by federal authorities.

The request also places additional scrutiny on custody and detention procedures used during federal immigration enforcement. While the report describes a set of deaths and Mexico’s call for criminal investigations, it does not in the same reporting establish findings of wrongdoing, identify specific cases by name, or describe any charging decisions or court proceedings.

The Hill’s account frames the issue around deaths during enforcement operations and custody, with Mexico arguing for criminal investigations by state prosecutors. In response, U.S. authorities have not, in the reporting cited here, been described as agreeing to or rejecting the request or as providing a timeline for any state action.

For the Trump administration, the practical effect of Mexico’s request depends on whether state attorneys decide to investigate, and whether their review overlaps with, or draws on, any ongoing federal inquiry into detention-related deaths. If state investigations proceed, they could lead to subpoenas, interviews, and requests for records, while criminal investigations would also raise questions about how federal enforcement information is handled across jurisdictions.

As of publication of The Hill’s report, the next step identified in the reporting is for state prosecutors to consider whether to open criminal investigations into specific death cases involving Mexican nationals in ICE custody during the second term of President Donald Trump. Any criminal process would be fact-dependent and could require coordination with federal agencies that operate immigration detention and provide custody logs, medical records, and incident reporting, where available.