Tapachula, Mexico — A group of about 500 migrants traveled southern mexico On Wednesday there were protests against long waits for paperwork and requests for authorization to move to areas with greater employment potential.
The group left Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala, on Tuesday night to highlight their situation and obtain permission to find work elsewhere while their immigration status is processed.
Tapachula has long served as a temporary population center. In recent months, it has seen an influx of third country nationals, particularly Cubans. Deported by Trump administrationHowever, the Mexican government has not yet released official figures regarding these arrivals.
Although foot marches are common in the region, they no longer target the United States. In the past year, groups of a few hundred migrants have typically dispersed within a few days without traveling any further than southern Mexico.
“Without papers, there are no opportunities. We migrants feel like prisoners in Tapachula,” said Cuban citizen Juandri Velazquez Zaragoza, 40, who supports a wife and two children in his home where a worsening crisis has been marked. massive power cuts And lack of food.
The evangelical pastor, who also works as a mason, arrived in Tapachula in August 2024. He originally sought asylum in the United States CBP One Mobile App But failed. Following the program’s expiration under the Trump administration’s withdrawal, he applied for asylum in Mexico; However, both his application and his subsequent appeal were rejected.
The group marched under the watch of the National Guard, the National Migration Institute, and local police, none of whom attempted to stop them. The day the march began, the Mexican government announced a new agreement to promote labor inclusion for people in transit in southern states such as Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco and Quintana Roo.
The Southern Border Monitoring Collective, a coalition of civil society groups, warned this week that people in transit are paying up to 40,000 Mexican pesos (about $2,300) for free documentation that is legal. The collective also condemned the increased militarization of Mexico’s southern border and the Northern Triangle, saying that increased security measures have increased the risks and abuses faced by migrants.
On Monday, Mexican officials 229 migrants discovered trapped inside a truck in Veracruz. The vehicle was seized by police after it was reported stolen, but officers only realized there were people inside when the migrants started screaming for help.
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