Sheinbaum Demands Answers After Three Mexicans Die in US Custody

​MEXICO CITY — President Claudia Sheinbaum issued a stinging condemnation on Friday following the deaths of three Mexican nationals in U.S. immigration custody, labeling the incidents “unacceptable” and demanding a comprehensive federal investigation from Washington.

​The most recent fatality, which has sparked particular outrage, involved 19-year-old Royer Perez Jimenez. He was found unresponsive in the early hours of Monday morning at the Glades County Detention Center in Florida. While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has characterized the death as a “presumed suicide,” Sheinbaum told reporters at her daily press conference that the circumstances require a transparent and outside review.

​”This cannot be happening,” Sheinbaum said, noting that Perez Jimenez is the youngest Mexican national to die in U.S. custody since the start of the current U.S. administration’s intensified immigration crackdown. “We want a full investigation. We are going to use all measures to make our protests heard and support the families in everything they need.”

​The President’s remarks come as the Mexican Foreign Ministry confirmed two other recent deaths of nationals: a 34-year-old man who died in Georgia in January and a 48-year-old in California earlier this month.

​Official data indicates a grim trend; at least 13 migrants have died in ICE custody since the start of 2026, following a 20-year high of 31 deaths recorded in 2025. Human rights advocates have pointed to the reopening of facilities like the Glades County site—previously shuttered due to safety concerns—as a contributing factor to the deteriorating conditions.

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​The Mexican Consulate in Miami has already visited the Florida facility to secure documentation and legal evidence. This latest diplomatic friction underscores the growing tension between the Sheinbaum administration’s “cooperation without subordination” policy and the increasingly aggressive deportation tactics employed by U.S. authorities.

​”We will always seek respect for the human rights of Mexicans abroad,” Sheinbaum added. “They are not criminals; they are people seeking a better life, and their dignity must be upheld.”