MEXICO CITY, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday rejected a recent order by U.S. President Donald Trump to resume immigration detentions at traffic stops.
During her daily press conference, Sheinbaum said no meeting or phone call with Trump was currently planned, but added that she would raise the deaths of more than a dozen Mexican nationals during Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and in detention centers at an appropriate time.
She called for respect for migrants' human rights and said a distinction should be made between people with criminal records and those facing administrative issues related to their immigration status.
If someone has committed a crime, that person should face legal proceedings, Sheinbaum said. However, an irregular immigration status should not be treated as a crime, she said, adding that deportations carried out for immigration reasons must respect human rights.
Sheinbaum also confirmed that a Mexican national who died during an immigration operation after being hit by a truck while trying to flee had been identified, without giving further details.
She added that Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco had spoken with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson and other State Department officials about Mexico's legal actions and the reasons behind them. ■