Cuban immigrants were apprehended this Tuesday during an immigration control operation in the municipality of Tizayuca, located in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. The operation resulted in the detention of 14 foreigners from Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela, who were unable to verify their legal stay in the country, according to the Secretariat of Citizen Security Tizayuca.
The official statement did not specify the exact number of Cubans detained during the immigrant sweep conducted by local authorities in residential complexes and housing units in the Mexican municipality. The government agency indicated that this control is part of "strategies focused on the prevention of violence and crime" in the municipality and was conducted "in strict adherence to human rights."
The operation, which verified the status of migrants in Tizayuca, involved personnel from the Secretariat in coordination with the National Institute of Migration (INM) and the National Guard (GN). According to the news outlet Milenio, the operation primarily focused on public transportation vehicles moving along the free highway Mexico-Pachuca, near Plaza Tizara, and included patrols in the town center.
The detained migrants were transported to the INM delegation in Pachuca. The report stated, "the objective of the operation is to prevent human trafficking in buses and private vehicles heading towards the United States."
Many Cubans who have left the island in recent years have arrived in Mexico with the intention of reaching the U.S. border to seek asylum. Currently, many are waiting for their CBP One appointments in various Mexican states.
Earlier this month, the administration of President Joe Biden enforced an executive order that blocks asylum for migrants who cross the southern border illegally. The president issued the order under sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)
The following day, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) announced he was seeking an agreement with the U.S. government to prevent the return of migrants to Mexico following the implementation of Biden's policy. AMLO proposed an accord between the migrants' countries of origin and the United States to address the increase in asylum applications and deportations from the U.S. The recent operation in Tizayuca has raised many questions about the current state of immigration enforcement in Mexico and its impact on migrants, particularly those from Cuba. Below, we address some key questions regarding this event and its broader implications. The migrants were detained because they could not verify their legal status in Mexico. The operation was part of a strategy to prevent violence and crime in the municipality. The operation involved the Secretariat of Citizen Security Tizayuca, the National Institute of Migration (INM), and the National Guard (GN). The primary goal is to prevent human trafficking and ensure that individuals traveling within Mexico can verify their legal status. The policy blocks asylum for migrants who cross the southern U.S. border illegally, thus complicating the asylum process for many who have already entered Mexico.Migrant Detentions in Mexico: Key Questions Answered
Why were the migrants detained in Tizayuca?
Which agencies were involved in the operation?
What is the goal of these immigration control operations?
How has the Biden administration's policy affected migrants?