Mexico's foreign ministry condemned the death of a Mexican national at a border detention center, counting it as the 18th death of a Mexican national in U.S. custody or during immigration operations since January 20, 2025.
The ministry said the man died at a processing center in Laredo, but did not identify him in its statement. It said his family had been contacted.
The Texas Tribune identified him as Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, a 56-year-old Dallas resident and father of three US citizen children. He was found unconscious in his cell last Saturday during a routine security round at the Rio Grande Processing Center. U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar confirmed the death.
The agency had not reported the death. Mexico called for an investigation.
His daughter, Estefani Andrade, alleged that detention staff withheld medication her father brought with him. She said he needed it for heart ailments, hypertension and diabetes.
Andrade also said medical staff repeatedly disregarded his complaints of respiratory difficulties and chest pressure. The death was the seventh this year in ICE detention facilities in Texas.
The foreign ministry said it had activated consular protection protocols and filed a formal complaint with the Webb County District Attorney to establish possible responsibility. Mexico's embassy in the United States plans to press immigration authorities to give consuls unrestricted access to detention centers, allowing them to monitor conditions and medical care.
The government also demanded “a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation” and said it would file a complaint over the death. In a statement, it described the recurring deaths as a “situation that demands an effective response from the US authorities.”
Mexico's July strategy combines complaints, civil action and international appeals
Free toolUSCIS Processing TimesThe latest case followed a legal strategy Mexico announced after a Mexican national, Lorenzo Salgado, died during an immigration operation in Houston, Texas. The strategy was laid out in Press Release No. 136/2026, dated 9 July 2026, on instructions from President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.
Secretary Velasco said the earlier count covered 17 Mexican nationals: 14 deaths in detention centers and three during operations. Mexico had sent 11 diplomatic notes of formal protest to the U.S. government seeking clarification of the cases.
The plan calls for Mexico's Attorney General's Office to support complaints to state prosecutors and the U.S. Department of Justice. It also directs the government to pursue civil action against private detention center operators, including cease-and-desist letters over practices and human rights violations linked to the deaths of 14 Mexican nationals.
Mexico also planned to seek precautionary and protective measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and to call on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to protect Mexicans held in these centers. Velasco said the issue had become the ministry's priority.
“This is the most important issue facing the Ministry right now (.) it will be a central point in our conversations with the U.S. government,” Velasco said.
Earlier deaths prompted consular visits and records requests
Mexico's consular response has included requests for records and direct support to families. Press Release No. 037/2026 announced the death of a Mexican national at California's Adelanto ICE Processing Center.
The Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino contacted authorities urgently and sought medical records, custody reports and other documents. Consular staff supported the family, while the consul offered condolences, legal help and assistance arranging the return of the remains. The ministry said it would “formally request an investigation into the conditions that have led to tragedies such as this.”
In Florida, Press Release 059/2026, dated 19 March 2026, described a death at the Glades County Detention Center. The county-operated facility houses immigration detainees under an agreement with ICE.
The Mexican Consulate General in Miami activated its protocol, visited the facility and requested reports and documents. U.S. authorities confirmed an investigation was underway. Mexico said it would use diplomatic steps to press the federal government to address conditions linked to such incidents, and pursue available legal avenues to support the family.
Xinhua reported on April 13, 2026, that a Mexican national had died at Louisiana's Winn Correctional Center. The cause was under investigation. Mexico's consulate in New Orleans, working with its counterpart in Atlanta, contacted the family and offered legal support.
Mexico said it was communicating with U.S. authorities to clarify the circumstances and assess next steps. The ministry called repeated deaths “unacceptable,” said they reflected serious deficiencies incompatible with human rights standards, and instructed its consular network to increase visits to ICE facilities. It also urged Mexican nationals in the United States who are detained to contact a consulate.
At least 30 people died in U.S. migrant detention centers last year, the highest number since 2004, the year after ICE was created. Hundreds of thousands of migrants have been arrested across the country as President Donald Trump pursues his pledge to carry out the largest deportation operation ever.
A House bill proposes deadlines for notifying families and the public
H.R. 10401, the “No ICE Deaths in the Dark Act of 2026,” would require ICE to notify relatives, consulates and federal officials after a covered death, then publish an interim notice. Mr. Thanedar introduced the bill on September 15, 2026, and it was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
| Proposed timing | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Within 24 hours | Make reasonable efforts to notify next of kin and, where applicable, the appropriate consulate; notify the DHS Inspector General and congressional committees. |
| Within 48 hours | Publish an interim notice on ICE's website, limited to objective information about known facts and circumstances. |
The bill would require notices to congressional committees to describe notifications made to relatives, consulates and the inspector general, and state the status of any notification still outstanding. ICE would not have to wait until family or consular notifications were complete before posting the interim notice.
Its listed co-sponsors include Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Conaway, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Escobar, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. García of Illinois and Mr. Goldman of New York. The roster also includes Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. McCollum, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Mejia, Mr. Moulton, Ms. Norton, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Tlaib and Mr. Quigley.
The bill's proposed public notice would be limited to “objective information about the known facts and circumstances surrounding the covered death.”
