The fatal fire in a detention center for migrants in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juárez is being investigated as a possible case of multiple homicide. The fire killed 39 people and injured 27 people on Monday night.
Mexico’s security minister said on Wednesday evening that eight people have been identified as suspects who may be responsible for the deaths of the migrants. A public prosecutor specializing in human rights stated that none of the security guards present took action to get the detained migrants out of their cells after a fire broke out. Both government officials and employees of a security company worked in the institution. The Public Prosecutor has applied for the first arrest warrants, according to the prosecutor.
One day after the fire video footage which appear to show guards fleeing while migrants are still trapped in the burning building. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador then promised that those responsible for the deaths of the migrants would be punished and that the government would open up about the investigation into the fire. “There will be no attempt to cover up the facts, there will be no attempts to keep a hand over anyone.”
The affected migrant center is located in Ciudad Juárez, the largest city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The city borders the American city of El Paso in the state of Texas. Many migrants are stranded in border towns trying to reach the US. Under new rules, they must apply for asylum before crossing the border. If they fail to do so and still cross the border, they will no longer be eligible for asylum status.
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