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Updated May 28, 2021
Mexico’s Immigration Control Efforts
Background
improve coordination with customs and federal, state, and
Since 2014, Mexico has experienced periodic surges in
local security forces.
unauthorized migration from the “Northern Triangle” of
Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras).
López Obrador took office in December 2018, endorsing a
Mexico, like the United States, has struggled to deal with
humanitarian approach to migration and pledging to
large numbers of families and unaccompanied minors,
promote development in Central America as a solution to
many of whom are seeking asylum. Under the threat of U.S.
unauthorized migration. Nevertheless, he did not increase
tariffs, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador
funding for Mexico’s backlogged Commission for the Aid
accommodated Trump Administration policy changes that
of Refugees (COMAR). His government’s austere budgets
shifted some of the burden of interdicting migrants and
have not reflected his early pledges to invest $100 million
hosting asylum seekers from the United States to Mexico.
in the Northern Triangle.
The Biden Administration has also sought Mexico’s
assistance in managing U.S.-bound migration flows .
Since April 2019, López Obrador has taken a harder line
toward migration, in part due to U.S. pressure. His
Figure 1. Mexico: Reported Apprehensions of
government has increased migrant apprehensions (see
Migrants from Northern Triangle Countries and
Figure 2) and restricted access to humanitarian visas,
Asylum Applications
particularly for those traveling in large groups (or
caravans). As during prior enforcement surges, migrants
have taken more dangerous routes and increased their
reliance on smugglers. After Mexico deployed its new
National Guard to help with immigration enforcement,
reports of mistreatment of migrants rose. Corruption within
INM and impunity for crimes against migrants have
increased migrants’ vulnerability to human rights abuses
and crime. A dozen state police have been implicated in a
January 2021 massacre of 19 people, including Guatemalan
migrants, near the U.S. border.
Figure 2. Mexico: Recent Trends in Reported
Apprehensions of Central American Migrants
Source: CRS, based on information from Mexico’s Secretary of the
Interior.
President Joe Biden has begun to revise certain restrictive
policies implemented by the Trump Administration but is
seeking to do so in a way that does not overwhelm the
processing capacity of U.S. agencies. President Biden also
proposed a comprehensive immigration reform bill,
introduced as the U.S. Citizenship Act (S. 348/H.R. 1177),
which would create a regional migration management
system involving Mexico and Central America. Vice
President Kamala Harris is leading diplomatic efforts to
secure Mexico’s help in addressing the root causes of
migration, interdicting migrants, and combating alien
smuggling and human trafficking. In mid-March 2021,
Mexico closed its southern borders to nonessential travel.
Immigration Control
Since 2014, with support from the United States, Mexico
Source: CRS, based on data from Mexico’s Secretary of the Interior.
has established naval bases on its rivers, security cordons
north of its borders with Guatemala and Belize, and drone
Humanitarian Protection
surveillance. Unarmed agents from the National Migration
Mexico has a broader definition of refugee than the United
Institute (INM) have increased operations along train routes
States and the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention; Mexico
and at bus stations. INM has improved infrastructure at
recognizes a right to asylum based on “generalized
border crossings and created mobile highway checkpoints.
violence; foreign aggression; internal conflicts; massive
INM also has sought to professionalize its workforce and
violations of human rights; and other circumstances leading
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link to page 1 Mexico’s Immigration Control Efforts
to a serious disturbance of public order.” As a result, many
program. The countries reiterated a 2018 joint statement
of the migrants arriving in Mexico from the Northern
supporting economic development in Mexico and the
Triangle could qualify as refugees. Asylum requests
Northern Triangle.
doubled in Mexico each year from 2015 to 2019 (see
Figure 1). Through April 2021, Mexico had received nearly
The June 2019 agreement coincided with a 65% reduction
32,000 asylum requests, with most asylum seekers
in U.S. border apprehensions by September 2019.
originating from Honduras, Haiti, Cuba, El Salvador, and
Increasing incidents of violence against migrants in both
Venezuela.
southern and northern Mexico also occurred. Mexican
border cities—some of which have high rates of violent
With support from the U.N. High Commissioner for
crime—were sheltering tens of thousands of migrants with
Refugees (UNHCR), COMAR reduced the backlog of
little support. Human Rights First, a nongovernmental
asylum requests in 2020. COMAR granted refugee status to
organization, documented 1,300 publicly reported cases of
10,100 people from the Northern Triangle that year, up
those subject to the MPP who had been murdered, raped,
from 1,863 in 2019.
kidnapped, tortured, or assaulted as of January 2021.
U.S. Foreign Assistance and Policy
In February 2021, the Biden Administration suspended new
enrollments in the MPP. DHS began a phased process for
Foreign Assistance
MPP enrollees with pending immigration court proceedings
Since June 2015, the State Department has spent $58.5
to enter the United States for processing.
million in Mérida Initiative funding to support Mexico’s
immigration control and border security efforts. U.S. funds
Title 42
have enabled the provision of nonintrusive inspection
In response to the pandemic, DHS largely suspended
equipment, mobile kiosks, canine teams, and vehicles, as
asylum processing at the U.S.-Mexico border in March
well as training for more than 1,000 officials. U.S.
2020 under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
assistance helped Mexican agencies build a secure
public health order (referred to as Title 42). The Trump
communications network in the southern border area.
Administration then expelled most migrants without valid
Current funding supports the collection of biometric
travel documents into Mexico or returned them to their
information that interfaces with U.S. databases and efforts
home countries as quickly as possible. Mexico has
to counter alien smuggling and human trafficking.
struggled to absorb those migrants, particularly after a
revision to its immigration law prohibiting the detention of
Since FY2018, the State Department has provided more
minors in facilities with adults took effect in January 2021.
than $106 million through the Migration and Refugee
Assistance (MRA) account to UNHCR to improve access to
The Biden Administration has exempted unaccompanied
asylum in Mexico, provide legal assistance and alternatives
children and certain vulnerable migrants from the Title 42
to detention for asylum seekers, and increase COMAR’s
policy but otherwise left the policy mostly in place. U.S.-
asylum processing capacity. MRA funds have supported
funded international organizations are helping identify
other humanitarian organizations involved in improving
vulnerable migrants in need of U.S. processing. Some
shelters, providing medical aid to migrants, and
190,400 migrants still have been subject to expulsion,
transporting migrants who voluntarily agree to be sent back
mostly to Mexico, from February to April 2021. As the
to their home countries.
pandemic has begun to subside, migrants’ rights groups
have urged an end to this policy. However, doing so could
U.S. Migrant Protection Protocols
increase the migration surge.
In December 2018, López Obrador allowed the United
States to return Central American migrants to Mexico under
Operation Sentinel
the U.S. Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). From January
In April 2021, DHS announced it had launched a new
2019 through its suspension in January 2021, the MPP
multiagency effort to target transnational criminal
allowed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to
organizations (TCOs) involved in smuggling migrants.
require more than 70,000 non-Mexican migrants who
With support from Mexico, the effort will target assets and
arrived at the border to wait in Mexico while U.S.
individuals associated with TCOs complicit in alien
immigration courts processed their cases. The MPP
smuggling with visa revocations and frozen bank accounts.
gradually expanded to include asylum seekers from Cuba,
Venezuela, and Ecuador. In March 2020, all pending MPP
Congressional Action
hearings were suspended indefinitely in response to the
Congress may consider legislation that would affect U.S.-
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Mexico migration issues discussed in this product (such as
S. 348/H.R. 1177 and/or S. 1358, which would create more
On June 7, 2019, Mexico reached a migration agreement
border processing centers). The 117th Congress is
with the Trump Administration to avert U.S. tariffs.
continuing to fund and oversee U.S. assistance to Mexico
According to the U.S.-Mexico joint declaration, Mexico
through the Mérida Initiative and MRA funds. See also
agreed to deploy its National Guard to its borders, counter
CRS Report R41349, U.S.-Mexican Security Cooperation:
human smuggling networks, and accept the expansion of
The Mérida Initiative and Beyond.
the MPP across the entire northern border. The United
States pledged to speed up adjudication of asylum claims
Clare Ribando Seelke, Specialist in Latin American
and prioritize the court proceedings of migrants in the MPP
Affairs
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Mexico’s Immigration Control Efforts
IF10215
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10215 · VERSION 25 · UPDATED