The Mexican National Institute of Migration (INM) has initiated a census of the migrant caravan known as the "Exodus for Justice." This effort aims to assess the types of processes migrants have undertaken to regularize their status and to determine the options available to them.
According to a report by El Universal, last Friday, President Claudia Sheinbaum outlined that the options for those who departed from Tapachula in the caravan range from repatriation to their home countries to the possibility of employment within Mexican borders.
Keyla, a Venezuelan migrant, shared that on Saturday, staff from the INM and the Grupo Beta Sur arrived at the "Salomón González Blanco" sports unit in Escuintla, where the group was resting, to begin registration. Migrants, primarily from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, Ecuador, and Central America, were asked to line up for personal data verification and to confirm their processing status.
Despite some expressing fear of deception, the migrants agreed to the interviews and awaited the authorities' decisions. Nonetheless, they indicated that the caravan planned to resume its journey at dawn on Sunday toward Mapastepec, approximately 35 kilometers away.
Among the personal stories is that of Ecuadorians Johnny Fabricio and Jennyfer Magdalena, parents of Itzel Guadalupe, an eight-month-old Mexican baby. The couple publicly appealed to President Sheinbaum to waive a 44,000 pesos fine imposed for their regularization due to family ties, claiming they lack the resources to pay it.
The family, traveling with their other children, Esteven Ariel, 13, and Teylor Matías, 2, joined the caravan after the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) denied them refugee status and due to the absence of employment opportunities.
Hoping for a resolution, the migrants aim to reach Mexico City to process documents that would allow them to work legally and access better opportunities. The caravan, consisting of hundreds of migrants, including many Cubans, set out last Wednesday from Tapachula in the Mexican state of Chiapas, heading north in search of relocation or legal migration pathways.
As reported by CNN, the group comprises around 300 individuals from at least 12 nationalities, including Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Many of these migrants have spent months stranded at Mexico's southern border, unsuccessfully trying to regularize their status after abandoning the American dream.
The return of Donald Trump to the White House and the tightening of U.S. immigration policies have forced many to alter their plans. Now, migrants are targeting cities like Monterrey or Mexico City, hoping to approach diplomatic missions from countries such as Canada, Germany, Australia, or Switzerland that offer work visas.
Understanding the Migrant Caravan Situation
What is the purpose of the INM's census of the migrant caravan?
The INM's census aims to evaluate the types of procedures migrants have undertaken to regularize their status and to explore the options available to them, such as repatriation or employment in Mexico.
Why are migrants heading to Mexico City?
Migrants are heading to Mexico City in hopes of securing documentation that will allow them to work legally and access better opportunities, as well as to seek relocation or legal migration pathways.
How have U.S. immigration policies impacted the migrants' plans?
The return of Donald Trump to the White House and stricter U.S. immigration policies have forced many migrants to change their original plans, leading them to seek alternative options in Mexico.