The arrival of Mexican migrants in the United States broke a record. During fiscal year 2021 in the US (October 2020 to September 2021), the immigration authorities of the neighboring country reported the detention of at least 655,594 nationals, that is, 120% more than what was registered in fiscal year 2020 (October 2019 to September 2020). .
For experts in the field, said increase in Mexican migration may have as a main factor the insecurity that exists in our country.
Data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the United States, indicate that while in fiscal year 2019 the detention of 237,078 Mexican migrants was reported, these figures grew by 25.5% for 2020, this when accounting for the arrest of 297,711 nationals.
Meanwhile, for the fiscal year of 2021, these arrests more than doubled, that is, 655,594 Mexicans captured in their attempt to enter the United States.
Like migration from other nations, apprehensions of Mexicans at the US border include both adults traveling alone, families, and unaccompanied minors.
title 42
According to a recent US Congressional report, titled “Immigration: Apprehensions and Removals at the Southwest Border,” in fiscal year 2021, Mexican migrants accounted for 37% of all migrant encounters, and 92% of them were expelled under Title 42, which is the rule that allows the immediate deportation of migrants to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections.
The report contends that Title 42 is used more for immigration enforcement than public health, while arguing that the right to seek humanitarian protection under US and international law must continue, even , during a public health emergency.
The report also mentions that US immigration authorities face growing challenges due to organized crime operations related to human trafficking from Mexico.
It also highlights that in fiscal year 2012, Mexicans represented 75% of the 321,276 adult migrants detained on the southwest border. While fiscal year 2021, they represented 53% of the 1 million 63,285 single adult migrants detained.
The document adds that, in fiscal year 2012, detained Mexican migrant families represented 80% of the total (8,851 of 11,116). While, since fiscal year 2014, the number of migrant families from other Northern Triangle countries has exceeded the number of Mexican families.
Reasons to leave
Eunice Rendón, coordinator of Agenda Migrante, explains that the trend in Mexican migratory flows began to increase in mid-2020, which is contrary to what happened a decade ago, when there was even talk of a zero rate, that is, they were more Mexicans returning to the country than those seeking to migrate.
“2021 closes as the year of greatest Mexican migration in the last decade, and it is important to emphasize the reasons,” he stresses.
Rendón believes that the causes for Mexicans to migrate have to do with the economic crisis due to the pandemic, but also due to violence.
“If we review the refugee applications of Mexicans in the US, we see that last year nearly 2,000 applications were granted and, of those, 95% were due to threats from organized crime or issues of extreme insecurity and risk of losing one’s life. ”.
One of the reasons why the Mexican government has not made this problem visible, he adds, may be because the historical figures of Mexican migrants do not speak well of the current administration.
Natasha Uren Vázquez, a member of the Coalition of Mexican Migrants, considers that in addition to violence as the main reason for migrating, there is the creation of support networks in the US that encourage the migration of fellow nationals, and the fiscal stimulus granted by the US government, It generated that employment in the neighboring nation was promoted.
The expert considers that the Mexican government does not want to make much “noise” about the migration of Mexicans, because “it knows that it is our Achilles’ heel with the United States and does not want to generate more revolt where it is not necessary, it brings up too many open issues on other fronts in the bilateral relationship, to go and confront this one.”
maritza.perez@eleconomista.mx
