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1 (April 29, 2015)

handle is hein.crs/crsuntaafmz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Me Ino'rmin t Imigatin 1r1t Mexico's Recent Immigration Enforcement Efforts Background In 2014 the United States and Mexico experienced an unprecedented surge in undocumented migration of unaccompanied children and family units from Central America. In response, Mexico greatly increased its immigration enforcement efforts, particularly along its southern border. In 2014, Mexico's Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) reported that it removed 104,269 migrants who came from the northern triangle (El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala) of Central America. Roughly 17,900 of those migrants were minors, 8,236 of whom were unaccompanied. Mexico's increased enforcement has contributed to fewer apprehensions of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. During the first half of FY2015, U.S. apprehensions of unaccompanied minors at the border were 45% lower, and total apprehensions of family units were 30% lower than the same period in 2014. SEGOB reports that from January to late April 201 5, Mexico detained 59,650 migrants, a 77% increase from the same period of 2014. Of those, 8,710 were minors, a 54% increase from 2014. In January 2015, President Obama praised Mexican President Enrique Pefia Nieto for his government's increased immigration enforcement efforts. Some have argued that the U.S. government has pressured the Mexican government to stave the flow of U.S.-bound illegal migration from Central America. Others have maintained that Mexico has been adequately compensated for its efforts through the Mrida Initiative, which provided $79 million in U.S. assistance above the Administration's request for FY2015, partially to support Mexico's southern border efforts. Human rights groups have voiced concerns regarding Mexico's management of these complex migrant flows and have questioned its ability to protect migrants. Mexico's Southern Border Plan On July 7, 2014, President Pefia Nieto announced a new Southern Border Plan. The plan increased security at 12 ports of entry with Guatemala and Belize and along known migration routes in an attempt to (1) protect migrants and (2) promote regional security and prosperity. It prioritizes: * regular and ordered migration; * infrastructure improvements; * protection of migrants; * regional shared responsibilities; and * interagency coordination. April 29, 2015 Figure I. Northern Triangle Minors Removed by Mexico in 2014 Source: Mexico's Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) Under this plan, Mexico's National Institute of Migration (INAMI) agents have taken on a new enforcement directive. These unarmed agents have worked with the military and the police to increase immigration enforcement efforts along known migrant routes. In 2014, INAMI reportedly conducted more than 150 raids on northbound trains that previously transported 500-700 migrants through Mexico three times a week. Those efforts have pushed migrants to take new routes, particularly along the highways. INAMI has invested in security at existing border crossings and the establishment of more than 140 mobile highway checkpoints. It has also significantly increased the number of cases it has referred to prosecutors for crimes against migrants (including alien smuggling). The creation of a database of biometrics and migration data is an additional long-term goal of the plan. Figure 2. Foreign Nationals Taken into Custody by Mexican Immigration Officials Source: Mexico's National Institute of Migration (INM) In addition to increasing enforcement, the plan aims to provide basic services to migrants, including medical care offered at five clinics, and facilitate legal migration for www.crs.gov 17-5700

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