Migration Jurisprudence from the South › United States
Avena and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of America)
International Court of Justice · United States · 2004-03-31 · International body
Citation: I.C.J. Reports 2004, p. 12
Type of case: Constitutional and human rights
Outcome: Decided for the migrant side
Question
Did the United States breach the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations by not telling arrested Mexican nationals they could contact their consulate?
What the court decided
Yes. The US breached Article 36 for Mexican nationals sentenced to death and must provide review and reconsideration of their convictions and sentences.
In plain language
Mexican nationals arrested in the United States were not told they could call their consulate. The World Court said the US broke international law and must review their cases. Many were never reviewed.
Dalam bahasa sederhana
Warga Meksiko yang ditangkap di Amerika Serikat tidak diberi tahu bahwa mereka boleh menghubungi konsulat. Mahkamah Internasional menyatakan AS melanggar hukum internasional dan wajib meninjau ulang perkara mereka. Banyak perkara tidak pernah ditinjau.
Pertanyaan: Apakah Amerika Serikat melanggar Konvensi Wina tentang Hubungan Konsuler karena tidak memberi tahu warga Meksiko yang ditangkap bahwa mereka boleh menghubungi konsulatnya?
What happened afterwards
- 2004-03-31: Breach found; review ordered.
- 2008-03-25: US Supreme Court (Medellín v. Texas) holds the judgment not directly enforceable in US courts.
- later: Several of the nationals were executed without review.
Sources
Open this decision in the interactive collection (compare, filter, Indonesian view, downloads).
Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/avena-2004/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.