Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum protested the deaths of Mexican citizens in U.S. immigration custody and made her criticism of Donald Trump’s administration policies toward Cuba clear. The progressive leader had walked a careful line with Trump for more than a year, but mounting deaths in ICE facilities and an energy blockade on Cuba have prompted a harder stance.
Claudia Sheinbaum pushes back on Donald Trump over migrant death
Claudia Sheinbaum’s latest rebuke followed the death of Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, a 49-year-old Mexican citizen who died in an ICE detention center in Louisiana. His death is the 15th Mexican national to die in U.S. immigration custody in just over a year. Mexico’s government called the deaths “unacceptable” and labeled ICE detention centers “incompatible with human rights standards and the protection of life.”
During a press briefing on April 14, Sheinbaum requested investigations into all 15 deaths and ordered Mexican consulates to visit detention centers daily. She also said her government would raise the issue with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and consider an appeal to the United Nations. “We are going to defend Mexicans at every level,” Sheinbaum said, adding that “there are many Mexicans whose only crime is not having papers.”
Claudia Sheinbaum has also challenged Donald Trump’s Cuba policy. She called the energy blockade “unjust” and accused Washington of “suffocating” Cubans with sanctions. While Mexico paused oil shipments to Cuba under tariff threats, Sheinbaum continues sending food aid and donated $1,000 of her own money to relief efforts. “This is a Rubicon issue for her,” said Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican ambassador to the U.S.
Analysts suggest Sheinbaum’s bolder approach reflects a calculation that she can push back on politically important issues while continuing to cooperate on security and trade matters. Carin Zissis of the Council of the Americas noted that “growing dissatisfaction around ICE activities in the United States creates a more comfortable platform for members of the Mexican government to raise concerns” (via PBS News).
As of writing, Donald Trump or his administration has not commented on this.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu for Mandatory.
