Mexican judge dismisses criminal case against ex-immigration chief over deadly Juarez fire

On Tuesday a Mexican judge declared the criminal proceedings against former National Migration Institute director Francisco Garduño closed, stating that the corrective actions mandated after the 2023 fire at a Ciudad Juárez detention center had been completed. The blaze, the deadliest in Mexico’s immigration facilities, claimed 40 lives and injured 30 after guards reportedly ignored detainees’ cries for help. Garduño had been charged with abuse of public office and dereliction of duty, but the ruling effectively clears him, a move denounced by the Foundation for Justice as evidence of selective justice.

The NGO plans to appeal, arguing that reparations are incomplete: compensation was provided by the INM instead of Garduño, survivors were not informed how to obtain free medical care, and the public apology was merely formal. Other officials, including another former INM director and six agents, remain under investigation for homicide and assault. The case underscores persistent concerns about conditions and accountability in Mexico’s migrant detention system.