ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative newsroom, has released a report highlighting the consequences of increased U.S. pressure on Mexico to control migration along the southwest border. In response, Mexican authorities have interceded by transporting tens of thousands of migrants toward the country’s southern regions.
This action has inadvertently exposed migrants to the threat of mass kidnappings by criminal groups in southern Mexico, where these organizations engage in extortion with little resistance and substantial profit. Reports suggest that Mexican authorities frequently overlook these criminal activities. Migrants are often held in subpar conditions until their families can provide the ransom requested by kidnappers.
In one documented instance, a Guatemalan migrant, Nevy de Zelada, and her family faced a harrowing encounter in Tapachula, Mexico. While journeying toward the U.S. border, they were intercepted by individuals posing as helpers who forcibly abducted them. The kidnapped family, along with other migrants, was detained at a rural ranch, where Zelada was left to worry about the future of her children while praying for their safety.
Through extensive interviews, ProPublica discovered that the southern border of Mexico has become a hub for mass kidnappings operated by drug cartel affiliates, who profit from holding large groups of migrants for ransom. Migrants, fearing retaliation and distrustful of Mexican authorities, seldom report these crimes.
In recent months, outcomes from U.S.-Mexico negotiations led to significant changes in Mexican immigration policy, including a reduction in humanitarian visas and an increase in checkpoints aimed at curbing migrant flows. Despite record apprehensions of migrants through such measures, deportations remain rare due to resources constraints and legal obstacles faced by Mexican authorities. Instead, many migrants are redirected to remote southern regions through coordinated busing operations.
The busing strategy, seen as an additional burden for migrants, often leaves them circled back within Mexico, exposing them repeatedly to exploitation. Violence and threats from organized crime persist, with Mexican and U.S. officials noting that these efforts have contributed to decreased unauthorized crossings into the U.S., yet continue to expose migrants to significant risk.
Migrants arriving in Mexico without smugglers face near-certain abduction, according to immigrant rights advocates. U.S. officials acknowledge the challenges faced by migrants in Mexico but maintain that they cannot influence Mexican domestic policy directly.
While the cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico has led to a decline in border crossings, complaints persist about the methods and implications of such policies. Critics point out that the new practices have granted criminal groups further opportunities to exploit vulnerable individuals for profit, a concern that remains despite proclaimed enforcement efforts by Mexican authorities.
In light of these findings, Mexico’s government has been urged to investigate and take action against the increasing violence and kidnapping issues. Meanwhile, many migrants continue to face fear and uncertainty, exemplified by individuals like Jennifer, a Honduran migrant and her children, who remain traumatized by their experiences and hesitant to proceed with their journey.
