MEXICO CITY – Mexico said Monday (Thursday, Manila time) that the deaths of more than a dozen nationals in US immigration custody were “alarming,” as American authorities acknowledged a 14th person had died since President Donald Trump began his migration crackdown.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants have been arrested across the United States as Trump looks to fulfil an election pledge to carry out the largest deportation operation ever.
But its scale and ferocity, including an overwhelming use of force by agents who critics say are undertrained, have sparked controversy.
This “is not an isolated case, but rather a reflection of an alarming and unacceptable trend,” Vanessa Calva Ruiz, Mexico’s Director of Consular Protection, told a press conference in Los Angeles.
“The recurrence and frequency of these deaths are absolutely unacceptable,” she said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Monday that Jose Ramos, 52, had been declared dead on March 25 after being found unresponsive at its Adelanto detention center in California.
He was the 14th Mexican to die after contact with immigration authorities since Trump’s January 2025 inauguration. He was also the 14th foreign national to die in such circumstances in the first three months of this year.
“These deaths reveal systemic failures, operational deficiencies and possible negligence counter to the United States’ own protocols and regulations as well as international human rights standards,” Calva said.
ICE gave no cause of death for Ramos, who was detained on February 23, according to Jesus Arias, an attorney who said he would be taking legal action on behalf of the family.
The agency said personnel discovered Ramos “unconscious and unresponsive” and “immediately initiated life-saving procedures.”
A statement added that Ramos, whom it characterised as a “criminal illegal alien,” was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
