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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 29 March 2023
Migrants start fire at Mexico detention center, killing 40

By MARÍA VERZA in the truck with my broth-
Associated Press er and other families,” she
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mi- said.
grants fearing deportation Everyone was taken to the
set mattresses ablaze at immigration facility but only
an immigration detention the men were placed in
center in northern Mexico, the cells. Three hours later,
starting a fire that killed at the women and children
least 40 people, the presi- were released.
dent said Tuesday, in one Tensions between authori-
of the deadliest events ties and migrants had ap-
ever at a Mexican immigra- parently been running high
tion lockup. in recent weeks in Ciudad
Hours after the fire broke Juarez, where shelters are
out late Monday, rows of full of people waiting for
bodies were laid out under opportunities to cross into
shimmery silver sheets out- the U.S. or for the asylum
side the facility in Ciudad process to play out.
Juarez, which is across from More than 30 migrant shel-
El Paso, Texas, and a major ters and other advocacy
crossing point for migrants. organizations published an
Ambulances, firefighters open letter March 9 that
and vans from the morgue Medics give aid to a migrant who survived a fire that broke out at a Mexican immigration detention complained of a crimi-
swarmed the scene. center in Juarez on Monday, March 27, 2023. nalization of migrants and
Twenty-nine people were Associated Press asylum seekers in the city.
injured and are in “deli- Minister Mario Búcaro said from Juarez’s city hall. do were detained Mon- It accused authorities of
cate-serious” condition, 28 of the dead were Gua- At the facility’s doors, Ven- day with the children and abusing migrants and using
according to the National temalan citizens. ezuelan migrants gathered about 20 others. They had excessive force in round-
Immigration Institute. “We are going to look to Tuesday to demand infor- been in Juarez waiting for ing them up, including
At the time of the blaze, find those responsible for mation about relatives. an appointment from U.S. complaints that municipal
68 men from Central and this,” Búcaro said. Katiuska Márquez, a authorities to request asy- police questioned people
South America were be- Mexico President Andrés 23-year-old Venezuelan lum. They were staying in in the street about their
ing held at the facility, the Manuel López Obrador woman with her two chil- a rented room where 10 immigration status with-
agency said. said the fire was started dren, ages 2 and 4, was people were living, paying out cause. The high level
Immigration authorities by migrants in protest af- seeking her half-brother, for it with the money they of frustration in Ciudad
identified the dead and ter learning they would Orlando Maldonado, who begged in the street. Juarez was evident earlier
injured as being from Gua- be deported. “They never had been traveling with “I was at a stoplight with a this month when hundreds
temala, Honduras, El Salva- imagined that this would her. “We want to know if he piece of cardboard asking of mostly Venezuelan mi-
dor, Venezuela, Colombia cause this terrible misfor- is alive or if he’s dead,” she for what I needed for my grants tried to force their
and Ecuador, with Guate- tune,” López Obrador said, said. She wondered how all children, and people were way across one of the inter-
malans being the largest adding that the director of the guards who were inside helping me with food,” national bridges to El Paso,
contingent, according to the country’s immigration made it out alive and only she said. Suddenly agents acting on false rumors that
a statement from the Mexi- agency was on the scene. the migrants died. “How came and detained every- the United States would al-
can attorney general’s of- The detention facility is a could they not get them one. low them to enter the coun-
fice. short walk from the U.S. bor- out?” “Immigration grabbed me try. U.S. authorities blocked
Guatemala Foreign Affairs der and across the street Márquez and Maldona- by the jacket and put me their attempts.q

MI5 hikes Northern Ireland terror threat level to ‘severe’

LONDON (AP) — The U.K.’s decades of violent conflict put at risk the lives of chil- level comes ahead of
MI5 intelligence service on between Irish republican dren and other members events commemorating
Tuesday raised the terror- and British loyalist groups of the public.” the 25th anniversary of the
ism threat level in Northern and U.K. security forces He urged people to “re- Good Friday agreement.
Ireland’ to “severe” amid that killed more than 3,600 main vigilant but not be U.S. President Joe Biden is
an increase in activity by people. alarmed.” expected to visit Northern
dissident Irish republican But small Irish Republican Last month, senior police Ireland to mark the anni-
militants. Army splinter groups have officer John Caldwell was versary.
Severe is the second-high- continued to launch spo- shot by two masked men Major players in the peace
est rung on a five-point radic attacks on security as he coached a children’s process, including former
scale and means an attack forces. soccer team in the town U.S. President Bill Clinton
is considered highly likely. U.K. Northern Ireland Sec- of Omagh, about 60 miles and ex-British Prime Minister
The threat had stood one retary Chris Heaton-Harris (nearly 100 kilometers) west Tony Blair, are also due in
notch lower at “substan- said that “in recent months, of Belfast. Belfast for commemorative

Secretary of State for Northern tial” for the past year. we have seen an increase Police say he suffered life- events.
Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris Paramilitary groups in in levels of activity relating changing injuries. The threat level for the rest
arrives for a Cabinet meeting Northern Ireland laid down to Northern Ireland-related An IRA splinter group known of the U.K. remains at sub-
at 10 Downing Street in their arms after the 1998 terrorism, which has target- as the New IRA claimed re- stantial, meaning an at-
London, Tuesday, March 28, Good Friday peace ac- ed police officers serving sponsibility. tack is considered likely.q
2023. cord largely ended three their communities and also The change to the threat
Associated Press