Between October 1 and December 26, 2024, Mexican authorities detained 475,000 people attempting to cross the border illegally into the United States, according to Reuters citing data published by the Mexican government.
This significant increase in detentions is part of growing pressure from the United States.
Under Donald Trump’s second administration, which will take office on January 20, economic repercussions in particular are threatened if Mexico fails to meet U.S. demands.
Since the beginning of the year and up to early December, Mexican authorities reported that around 900,000 migrants had been detained.
Mexico serves as a transit point for immigrants from many countries seeking refuge in the United States. Venezuela, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Haiti are among the main countries of origin of migrants, according to Mexican authorities. Citizens from other regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, are also attempting to enter the U.S. via the southern border.
With the re-election of Donald Trump, pressure on the Mexican government to contain the migratory flow has increased. The president-elect has threatened to impose excessive tariffs if Mexico does not agree to receive migrants as part of the policy of mass deportation of illegal immigrants to the United States.
Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, highlighted the results of the measures adopted by his country to reduce the migratory flow. “We think it’s a model that works, that can always be improved, but that has responded very satisfactorily to this migratory phenomenon,” said the minister, quoted by Reuters.
At a press conference alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum, De la Fuente pointed out that detentions at the U.S.-Mexico border had fallen by 81% by mid-December compared with a year earlier.
The decrease is the result of diplomatic efforts to address migration concerns, including a call between Ms. Sheinbaum and President-elect Donald Trump in late November.
During that exchange, Trump warned that he would impose 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada if those countries failed to stem the flow of migrants and drugs, particularly fentanyl.
Israel Ibarra, an immigration researcher at Colegio de la Frontera Norte, attributed the increase in detentions to Mexico’s commitment to reduce the transit of migrants in response to U.S. demands.
This intensification of measures illustrates the broader challenges of managing migratory flows while reconciling international relations and domestic political priorities.