Authorities confirmed today that at least 39 male Latin American migrants died after the office of Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) in the U.S-Mexico border city of Ciudad Juárez was engulfed in flames overnight. The exact number of injured and the nationalities of the victims have not yet been confirmed.
According to sources in the neighboring state of Chihuahua, the fire started after a group of recently detained migrants burned mattresses to protest their potential deportation. President Andrés Manuel “AMLO” López Obrador, who confirmed the latest information during a press conference, called it a “terrible disgrace” and ordered authorities to deal with the situation.
In an official statement released this morning, the INM said its facility housed 68 men over the age of 18, all from “Central and South America.” The agency also said it would communicate with consular authorities to “implement actions that will allow the full identification of the victims.” Most are reportedly Venezuelan, according to the local press.
#Comunicado 🗞️| @INAMI_mx lamenta el fallecimiento de 39 personas migrantes extranjeras, derivado de un incendio que se originó poco antes de las 22:00 hrs del lunes en el área de alojamiento de la Estancia Provisional de Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua. https://t.co/NCe0yExH9T pic.twitter.com/vhT9cgXzsq
— INM (@INAMI_mx) March 28, 2023
The horrific incident in Ciudad Juárez, the worst in many years, comes as the country witnesses record numbers of migrants trying to cross Mexican territory to reach the U.S. The post-pandemic surge in asylum seekers has also prompted Washington to tighten border restrictions, while the long-running humanitarian crisis continues.
Migration has been a central issue in U.S. political dynamics, with former President Donald Trump placing the topic near the top of his agenda at campaign rallies since he entered political life in 2016.
- You should also read:Trump brags about forcing Mexico’s hand on immigration during campaign launch
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