Mexico seeks answers after citizen dies in US custody
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The number of people detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased significantly in recent years.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MEXICO CITY – Mexican authorities sought details on Jan 15 about the death of one of its citizens this week in an immigration detention facility in the US state of Georgia.
The number of people detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased significantly in recent years, and 2025 was the deadliest year for ICE detainees in two decades, with at least 30 people dying in detention centres.
At least four people have died in ICE detention so far in 2026, according to agency data.
On Jan 15, Mexico’s consulate in Atlanta said it was “closely monitoring” the death of a Mexican citizen on Jan 14 at an ICE facility south of the southern state’s capital.
Officials requested “that the circumstances of the incident be clarified”, the consulate said, adding that it was “collaborating on the necessary procedures to ensure that the investigation is conducted promptly and transparently”.
The consulate did not release the person’s name, but said it planned to return the person’s remains to Mexico as soon as possible.
US officials have not publicly commented on the incident.
ICE has been at the forefront of US President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
More than 68,000 adults were in ICE detention as at the end of December, compared with about 36,000 in December 2023, agency data shows.
The agency has come under intense public scrutiny in recent days after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good
