Mexican officials prepare for legal battle over deaths of citizens during US immigration enforcement

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and her government are emphasizing diplomacy is not enough to stem the rising tide of Mexican nationals who have died in ICE custody or were killed during immigration operations in the U.S.

They've highlighted 17 immigration enforcement-related deaths of Mexican citizens in the states and are planning to file criminal complaints against those responsible.

The names of those who died have not been released publicly. The ABC7 I-Team has learned one of the 17 deaths was in Illinois. Silverio Villegas-Gonzales was shot and killed by an ICE agent during Operation Midway Blitz in Franklin Park last September.

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An ICE agent targeting Villegas-Gonzalez opened fire after he said Villegas-Gonzalez refused law enforcement commands and drove his car at officers. At the time DHS said the officer was hit and seriously injured and "Fearing for his own life, the officer fired his weapon." Villegas-Gonzalez was killed.

But in body camera video obtained by the I-Team, the federal agent who fired his weapon said his own injuries were nothing major.

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The scene 10 months ago in Franklin Park is eerily reminiscent of the latest ICE shooting death of a Mexican national in Houston, Texas, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. ICE initially claiming Salgado Araujo was part of a targeted enforcement operation and rammed his car into an ICE vehicle, refusing commands to stop before he was shot. They later claimed he was not the target of any enforcement operation.

The government of Mexico told ABC News it sent 11 diplomatic notes to the U.S. regarding the deaths of Mexican citizens. In addition to new legal avenues, they plan to contact the UN Human Rights commission over deaths related to immigration enforcement.