Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has adopted a tougher line against the Trump administration, following the deaths of 15 Mexican citizens in US immigration custody and the imposition of an energy blockade on Cuba. Sheinbaum, who previously maintained a measured approach to avoid tariffs and military action, now faces growing domestic pressure to defend Mexican sovereignty and human rights.
On Tuesday, Sheinbaum condemned the death of Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, a 49-year-old Mexican who died in an ICE detention centre in Louisiana, marking the 15th such death in just over a year. She called the deaths “unacceptable” and described the detention centres as “incompatible with human rights standards”. She has requested investigations and instructed Mexican consulates to visit detention centres daily, while also raising the issue with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and considering an appeal to the UN.
The shift comes as Trump escalates pressure on Latin America, including deposing Venezuela’s president and threatening military intervention against Mexican cartels. Sheinbaum has balanced cooperation on trade and security—cracking down on cartels more than her predecessor—with defending Mexico’s stance on Cuba, a key ally. Despite pausing oil shipments to Cuba after Trump threatened tariffs, Sheinbaum called the blockade “unjust” and accused the US of “suffocating” Cubans.
Analysts suggest Sheinbaum’s bolder tone reflects a calculation that progress on trade and security allows pushback on politically important issues. Meanwhile, US dependence on Mexican energy amid the Iran war may temper Washington’s response. The White House declined to comment on Sheinbaum’s tougher stance or the rising death toll in ICE custody.
