Mexican court closes case against official over 2023 detention centre fire
Victims' groups, however, have denounced the ruling as 'selective' justice that exonerates the former migration chief.
Key points
- A Mexican judge closed the case against Francisco Garduno over the 2023 Ciudad Juarez detention centre fire that killed 40 migrants.
- Garduno had faced charges of abuse of public office and dereliction of duty after footage showed guards ignoring cries for help.
- Victims rejected the ruling, called it de facto exoneration, and said they would appeal.
A Mexican judge has closed the case against Francisco Garduno, former head of the country's immigration agency, for crimes related to the 2023 fire at a Ciudad Juarez detention centre that killed 40 migrants and injured 30 others. The incident was the deadliest event ever at a Mexican immigration centre, and critics said it exposed shortcomings and irregularities in the country's detention system.
Garduno had faced trial for abuse of public office and dereliction of duty after footage from the fire showed guards failed to respond to cries for help. On Tuesday, Judge Victor Manlio Hernandez Calderon ruled that Garduno had fulfilled court-mandated measures required to address the damage.
Victims reject ruling
Victims rejected the decision and announced they would appeal. The Foundation for Justice, one of the NGOs representing some victims, wrote on social media on Wednesday that corruption and impunity of politicians protected by power had won again.
The victims compared the judge's decision to close the criminal case to a de facto exoneration for Garduno. In their view, the ruling confirms that justice in Mexico is selective and denies victims full reparations and concrete guarantees that such an event will not be repeated.
Yesterday, corruption and the impunity of politicians protected by power won again
— Foundation for Justice
What happened at the centre
On March 27, 2023, about 70 men were crammed into a locked dormitory with no ventilation and barely any water at the Ciudad Juarez immigration detention centre, on the border with El Paso, Texas. As night fell, a small group set fire to mattresses in protest, and within seconds smoke engulfed the area.
Security cameras recorded guards leaving despite cries for help. They made no attempt to open the dormitory gates. Only women in another cell were released. Most victims were Central Americans and Venezuelans.
Other charges and pending cases
Garduno, a former prison guard and current official at the Ministry of Education, led the National Migration Institute from 2019 until 2025 despite the fire. The judge had previously ordered him to compensate families, provide free specialised medical care, issue a public apology, train migration personnel on human rights and guarantee non-repetition.
Lawyer Miguel Zenteno said the ruling is not final because it will be appealed and another injunction is pending against the reparations. He noted the measures were only partially implemented, with funds coming from the INM, incomplete compensation, no information on medical services, and an apology that was a mere formality. Prosecutors also accused another former institute director of the same crimes. Six immigration agents and two migrants accused of starting the fire face homicide and assault charges, with most officials free pending trial.
