Mexico City, Mexico — The Mexican government has brought 30 cases of human rights violations committed by U.S. authorities against Mexican immigrants before the United Nations, said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday.
In the past 10 months, Mexico’s northern neighbor has poured millions into an anti-immigration program resulting in mass incarcerations, deportations, and even deaths.
Amidst the turmoil, the Mexican government is reaching out to the UN to shed light on the human rights violations resulting from President Donald Trump’s aggressive illegal immigration policies.
During Tuesday’s press conference, President Sheinbaum confirmed that her administration and Mexico’s consular network in the U.S. are assisting victims of human rights violations in that country to hire legal defense and take the cases to court.
Sheinbaum criticized how the U.S. government has tackled immigration, saying her government does not agree with “treating Mexicans as criminals” and praised the 40 million Mexican immigrants currently living in the U.S., by her own estimations.
“And besides the fact that we do not agree with discrimination or with treatment that violates, or allegedly violates, human rights, they must be recognized for their work — for what they have contributed — for Mexico, of course, but also for the United States,” said Sheinbaum.
According to Sheinbaum, 90% of all Mexican immigrants live legally or with the proper documentation inside U.S. territory. “And they sustain the U.S. economy: they sustain agriculture, they sustain construction, they sustain the service sector,” she added.
The Migration Policy Institute has drawn attention to Trump’s dramatic funding of his anti-immigration crusade. The USD $45 billion green lighted by Trump represents a nearly three-fold annual increase.
The resources have been channeled towards Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border patrol operations, enabling a violent expansion of mass detention by immigration officers, resulting in a dramatic increase of immigrants under ICE custody from 39,000 in January to 61,000 in late August.
This heightened operation has targeted the Latino community mainly, with Mexicans rising as the top nationality. More than doubling in terms of apprehensions, Mexican people account for 41% of Trump’s arrests.
Arrests under Trump have been shrouded in controversy and criticism, as allegations of overcrowding, undernourishment, and overall human rights violations have been made against the Trump administration and ICE.
Moreover, deaths under ICE custody have risen. For instance, watchdogs such as the American Immigration Council have tallied the number of deaths at 23 in 2025, a stark figure when compared to the 24 deaths tallied in the last four years combined.
During a press conference on October 24, Undersecretary for North America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Roberto Velasco said that from January 20 to October 23 there have been 10 cases of Mexican nationals dying while in custody or during the infamous raids carried out by ICE on U.S. streets.
“We will always seek dialogue and coordination. And when we disagree, we will also say so — but always seeking a responsible dialogue, let’s put it that way,” said Sheinbaum.
