Ciudad Juárez migrant center fire
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Date27 March 2023 (2023-03-27)
LocationCiudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Coordinates31°44′48″N 106°29′00″W / 31.74667°N 106.48333°W / 31.74667; -106.48333
CauseArson
Deaths40
Non-fatal injuries27

On 27 March 2023, a fire occurred at an immigration detention center in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, near the border with the United States. The fire killed 40 people and left 27 others seriously injured.[1][2] According to Vice interviewees, prison officials demanded bribes from migrants to release them and avoid deportation.[3] The fire was allegedly started by inmates when they set fire to their mattresses to protest their detention conditions and impending deportation.[4] CCTV security footage obtained by the press shows INM personnel fleeing the spreading flames and smoke while leaving the detainees locked in their cell.[4][5]

Background

The migrant processing facility – officially the Ciudad Juárez Temporary Shelter (Spanish: Estancia Provisional de Ciudad Juárez) – is used by Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) to temporarily house migrants who illegally attempt to cross the border and are liable for deportation.[6] It is located in downtown Ciudad Juárez, near the Rio Grande and adjacent to the Stanton-Lerdo Bridge.[7][8]

Prior to the incident, tensions were already running high between authorities and migrants in Ciudad Juárez, where shelters were full of people trying to cross into the United States or requesting asylum;[9] in late December 2022, the municipal government put the number of stranded migrants registered in its territory at 20,000.[10] On 13 March, Mayor Cruz Pérez Cuéllar announced a hardening of the city's position with respect to stranded migrants, warning that its patience was "wearing thin".[11] Some of the approximately 70 people in the men's section of the building when the fire broke out[8] had been taken into custody that same afternoon in roundups carried out across Juárez by the INM at the mayor's request in response to repeated complaints from local residents and businessowners about aggressive panhandling and street harassment.[2][6][12]

Fire survivors and guards interviewed by Vice described the facility as a "extortion center", saying that prison officials demanded bribes between $200 and $500 to release migrants, and that those who did not pay were deported.[3]

Fire

At 10 p.m. CST, a fire broke out in the men's area of the detention center, with 68 migrants inside.[13][4] Rescue workers, including firefighters and paramedics, reported to the scene of the fire[7] and at least 21 of the injured were taken to hospitals.[14] According to statements made by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in a press conference the following morning, the fire was started when the facility's inmates set fire to mattresses in protest at their likely imminent deportation.[6][15] He added that the inmates who started the fire "never imagined that this would cause this terrible misfortune".[4]

CCTV security footage obtained by the press that shows INM personnel fleeing the spreading flames and smoke while leaving the detainees locked in their cell was received with a "wave of indignation" the following day.[4][5]

Victims

The fire left 40 people dead and 27 others seriously injured.[1][4] The people killed and injured were all male detainees at the facility, from several South and Central American countries: one each from Colombia and Ecuador, 12 from El Salvador, 28 from Guatemala, 13 from Honduras, and 13 from Venezuela.[4][16][17] The Guatemalan Migration Institute confirmed that 28 Guatemalan citizens were among the victims,[18][19] and a later press release by the two countries' foreign ministries confirmed the deaths of 20.[20][21] At a press conference the next day, however, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, the federal Secretary for Security and Civilian Protection, gave the breakdown of fatalities as 18 Guatemalans, seven Salvadorans, seven Venezuelans, six Hondurans and one Colombian. She added that the injured migrants who had been hospitalized were ten Guatemalans, eight Hondurans, five Salvadorans and five Venezuelans, one of whom had already been released.[22]

Aftermath

Federal attorney general Alejandro Gertz Manero launched an investigation in relation to the fire,[2] and arrests were made on 28 March.[23] Among those for whom arrest warrants were issued were three officials from the National Migration Institute, two private security guards employed at the facility, and the Venezuelan migrant suspected of starting the fire.[24][25] The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) was called on to help the migrants[26] and it opened an ex officio investigation into the incident.[27] The INM announced that the injured survivors would be granted humanitarian visitors' visas and that it would cover their medical expenses.[28]

The incident is also being investigated for possible homicide charges, as the guards fled the center while people were still locked inside the cells.[29]

In a press conference on 31 March, President López Obrador described the incident as perhaps the second-most painful episode of his presidency after the 2019 pipeline explosion in Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo.[30] Later that day, he visited Ciudad Juárez, where he was met by a contingent of protesting migrants.[31][32] Also on 31 March, the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection announced the immediate and definitive closure of the migrant processing facility.[33]

On 12 April, the attorney general's office announced that it had opened a criminal investigation into Francisco Garduño Yáñez, the head of the National Migration Institute, and one of his senior subalterns for their failure to protect and provide security to the persons and facilities under their authority.[34]

Reactions

The United States Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, said on Twitter that the fire was a "reminder to the governments of the region of the importance of fixing a broken migration system".[35] Felipe González Morales, a former president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and current United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants,[36] criticized the practice of mass detentions of migrants, saying on Twitter, "extensive use of immigration detention leads to tragedies like this one".[4] United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his condolences and called for a thorough investigation of the incident and the establishment of safer, more regulated, and organized migration pathways.[37][38]

The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in his first statements, held responsible the migrants for the fire for protesting their possible deportation.[39] He also accused the journalists at his conference of being interested in the fire due to yellow journalism.[40]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Resendiz, Julian (3 April 2023). "Death toll from migrant center fire up to 40". Border Report. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Phillips, Tom; Chávez, Marisol (28 March 2023). "At least 39 dead after fire at migrant facility in Mexico's Ciudad Juárez". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Migrants Died In Detention Fire Because They Couldn't Pay $200 Bribe to Be Released". Vice. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Verza, María; Lee, Morgan (28 March 2023). "Migrants start fire at Mexico detention center, killing 40". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Ola de indignación por video de incendio en centro de detención migratoria en Juárez" [Wave of outrage over video of fire at migrant detention center in Juárez]. Aristegui Noticias. 29 March 2023. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "Incendio en centro de migrantes: al menos 39 muertos en conflagración en edificio del INM en Ciudad Juárez" [Fire in migrant center: at least 39 dead in conflagration in INM building in Ciudad Juárez]. BBC Mundo. 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  7. 1 2 Figueroa, Lorena; Sheridan, Mary Beth; Suliman, Adela (29 March 2023). "Fire at migrant center near Mexico-U.S. border, several deaths reported". MSN. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 Buschschlüter, Vanessa (28 March 2023). "Mexico migrants: Deadly fire at Juárez migrant centre". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  9. ↑ Verza, María; Lee, Morgan (28 March 2023). "39 dead in fire at Mexico migrant center near US border". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  10. ↑ Martínez, Verónica (6 January 2023). "Nuevo pacto para expulsiones de migrantes desde EE.UU. desata preocupación en Ciudad Juárez" [New pact for the expulsion of migrants from the US sparks concern in Ciudad Juárez]. La Verdad. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "Pérez Cuéllar advierte endurecimiento de postura hacia migrantes" [Pérez Cuéllar announces stiffer position towards migrants]. La Verdad. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  12. ↑ Villalpando, Rubén; Estrada, Jesús (29 March 2023). "Retención ilegal de los migrantes en la tragedia de Juárez" [Illegal detention of migrants in the Juárez tragedy]. La Jornada. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Villagran, Lauren; Borunda, Daniel (28 March 2023). "Dozens dead, injured in fire at Juárez migrant detention center building". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  14. ↑ Acevedo, Nicole; Gamboa, Suzanne (28 March 2023). "At least 37 dead in fire at a migrant center near U.S.-Mexico border". NBC News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Morales, Alberto (28 March 2023). "AMLO: Incendio que dejó 39 migrantes muertos en Ciudad Juárez fue provocado por protesta de ellos" [AMLO: Fire that left 39 migrants dead in Ciudad Juárez was caused by their protest]. El Universal. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  16. ↑ Ramírez, Ne (28 March 2023). "INM ajusta a 38 cifra de migrantes muertos por incendio y publica lista de víctimas" [INM adjusts the number of migrants killed by fire to 38 and publishes a list of victims]. Excélsior. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  17. ↑ "'Terrible tragedy': Mexico migrant detention centre fire kills 39". Al-Jazeera. 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  18. ↑ Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración [@MigracionGuate] (28 March 2023). "#Comunicado | El Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración, informa:" [#Bulletin | The Guatemalan Institute of Migration reports:] (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. ↑ Lemos, Gerardo; Astorga, Omar; Suarez, Karol (28 March 2023). "Blaze kills at least 39 people at migrant detention center near Mexico-US border". CNN. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  20. ↑ "Hay 6 guatemaltecos en estado 'crítico' por el incendio en Ciudad Juárez" [Six Guatemalans in a 'critical' condition after fire in Ciudad Juárez]. Proceso. 29 March 2023. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "Comunicado conjunto entre Guatemala y México" [Joint statement by Guatemala and Mexico]. Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. 29 March 2023. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  22. ↑ "Incendio en Ciudad Juárez: identifican a los 39 fallecidos y ordenan la detención de 6 personas por la tragedia en un centro de detención de migrantes". BBC Mundo. 30 March 2023. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  23. ↑ Sánchez Jiménez, Arturo (28 March 2023). "Ya hay detenidos por incendio en albergue del INM, informa Ebrard" [Arrests made for fire at the INM shelter, Ebrard reports]. La Jornada. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  24. ↑ "Arrest orders are issued for 6 people in the deadly Mexican immigration center fire". National Public Radio. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  25. ↑ Minjarez, Gabriela (3 April 2023). "Man accused of starting Juárez migrant detention center fire arrested". KVIA. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  26. ↑ Acevedo, Nicole; Gamboa, Suzanne (28 March 2023). "At least 39 dead in fire at migrant center in Mexico near U.S. border". NBC News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  27. ↑ Cabadas, María (28 March 2023). "CNDH inicia investigación por incendio en albergue de Ciudad Juárez donde murieron 39 migrantes" [CNDH launches investigation into fire in Ciudad Juárez shelter where 39 migrants died]. El Universal. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  28. ↑ Campuzano, Jimena (28 March 2023). "Tras incendio, INM dará tarjetas de visitantes a migrantes heridos en Cd. Juárez" [After fire, INM will give visitor cards to injured migrants in Ciudad Juárez]. Excélsior. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  29. ↑ "Migrant deaths at Mexican detention centre investigated as suspected homicide". The Guardian. Contributed by Agence France-Presse. 30 March 2023. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  30. ↑ "Tragedia en Juárez, de los episodios más dolorosos, reconoce AMLO" [Juaréz tragedy "one of the most painful episodes", says AMLO]. La Jornada. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  31. ↑ "Mexican president faces protest in Juárez over deadly fire at immigration center". El Paso Times. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "Reciben migrantes con gritos y reclamos a AMLO en Cd. Juárez" [Migrants greet AMLO with shouts and demands in Ciudad Juárez]. Aristegui Noticias. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  33. ↑ "Estación del INM que se incendió en Cd. Juárez cerrará definitivamente tras muerte de migrantes" [INM station in Ciudad Juárez to close for good after migrant deaths]. Excélsior. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  34. ↑ "FGR proceeds criminally against Francisco Garduño, INM commissioner". The Yucatán Times. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  35. ↑ Grantham-Philips, Wyatte; Fernando, Christine; Santucci, Jeanine (28 March 2023). "Migrants lit mattresses in protest, starting fire that killed 40 near US-Mexico border, officials say". USA Today. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  36. ↑ "Felipe González Morales: Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants". United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Archived from the original on 12 June 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  37. ↑ "Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on the fire at a Mexican migration facility". United Nations. 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  38. ↑ Sánchez, Enrique (28 March 2023). "ONU lamenta muerte de 39 migrantes durante incendio en Ciudad Juárez" [UN mourns death of 39 migrants in Ciudad Juárez fire]. Excélsior. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  39. ↑ "AMLO responsabiliza a migrantes por el incendio que mató a 39 personas en Ciudad Juárez". El Comercio (in Spanish). 28 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  40. ↑ "López Obrador a periodistas: Su interés por el incendio en Ciudad Juárez es por amarillismo". El Nacional. EFE. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
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