Fire Kills at Least 39 at Migrant Facility in Northern Mexico

Mexico's president said migrants at a detention center in northern Mexico set a fire that killed at least 39 people and injured dozens more on Monday.

The Details: Mexico's National Institute of Migration (INM) said 39 foreign migrants died in a fire that started around 10 p.m. local time on Monday, at a facility in the border city of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. At least 29 more were injured and taken to local hospitals. Witnesses reportedly said most of the migrants were Venezuelan. INM has launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said some migrants set fire to mattresses amid fears of deportation.

For Context: Ciudad Juárez is a major border crossing point for migrants trying to enter the U.S. Earlier this month, a large group of migrants attempted to force their way into the U.S. via the bridge connecting Juárez and El Paso, Texas. The House of Representatives has a hearing on "Biden’s Growing Border Crisis" scheduled for Tuesday, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will also testify in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday morning.

How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum covered the fire Tuesday, and many highlighted images of body bags lined up outside the facility. Some right-rated sources, such as Fox News, mentioned more context regarding the ongoing border crisis. Updated 3/28 at 10:17 a.m. with details of the cause.