Families of migrants killed in fire to get $8 million each
- During the fire, 40 men died after being trapped in their cells
- Guards made no effort to release the male prisoners
- The government is paying the settlement to families as reparations
A makeshift altar in honor of migrants who died in last month’s fire, sits outside the immigration detention center where a dormitory fire killed more than three dozen people, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Thursday, April 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Christian Chavez)
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(NewsNation) — The families of 40 people who were killed during a fire at a migrant detention center in Mexico will receive 140 million pesos each, an amount equal to about $8.2 million.
The Mexican government announced the payment to the families of the 40 men who died after being trapped in cells during a fire at a detention center. Among the dead were migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, Venezuela, Honduras and Colombia.
The fire happened at a detention center in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, Texas. Authorities said a small group of migrants started the fire to protest what they believed was their pending deportation.
Workers at the center released 15 female migrants after the fire started, but did not release the men. Video showed guards running away from the fire without making any attempt to unlock the doors of cells where migrants were held.
The Mexican government placed blame on the private security company running the facility and cut ties with the organization. Six people were charged, including guards and the migrant who allegedly started the fire.
The head of the National Immigration Institute is also facing criminal charges, based on what prosecutors said was a “pattern of irresponsibility” when it came to detention facilities.
