Fire erupts at the migrant detention facility in Mexico. In a tragic turn of events, a fire broke out in an immigration detention facility in northern Mexico near the US border, killing up to 39 people.
The fire broke out late Monday at a facility in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, and injured 29 people in what is believed to be the deadliest fire at an immigration detention facility in the country’s history.
According to Mexico’s National Immigration Institute, the facility housed 68 adult men from Central and South America. An investigation into what caused the fire that killed so many people has been launched, and it is believed that the fire started in the men-only area.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, claimed that the fire started during a protest by migrants inside the facility, who were afraid of being deported.
“They put mats at the door of the shelter and set them on fire as a protest, and did not imagine that it would cause this terrible tragedy,” Lopez Obrador told newsmen.
On the other hand, the national immigration agency said it “energetically rejects the actions that led to this tragedy”, without any further explanation of what those actions might have been.
As fire erupts at the migrant detention facility, Guatemala has stated that 28 of its citizens are believed to have died in the incident.
Tensions over immigration have been high in the area, and Ciudad Juarez is a major crossing point for migrants attempting to enter the United States. Its shelters house hundreds of people looking for a way to cross or those awaiting the asylum process.
Also read: Human skulls package found at Mexico airport
On the one hand, Mexico is dealing with immigrants with an iron fist, most likely in response to Washington’s demands, but on the other hand, its National Immigration Institute is facing challenges in housing applicants in its facilities.
The latest incident has sent shockwaves across the country, rekindling debate about the nature of facilities provided to immigrants and the safety precautions taken in this regard.
