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1 1 (September 17, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbbbe0001 and id is 1 raw text is: nfrmirgtheleillv eaesr.11 Mexico's Immigration Control E Background Mexico, along with the United States, is experiencing a surge in unauthorized migration from the Northern Triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras). Both Mexico and the United States have struggled to deal with large numbers of family units and unaccompanied minors, many of whom are seeking asylum (see Figure 1). From 2015 to 2018, Mexico removed almost 524,000 migrants to their native Northern Triangle countries. To avoid U.S. tariffs, the Mexican government agreed in June 2019 to increase immigration enforcement and allow more migrants to await their U.S. immigration proceedings in Mexico. During a September 10, 2019, meeting with Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, Vice President Mike Pence recognized Mexico's efforts since June but said that more work needed to be done to reduce unauthorized migration. The next day, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump Administration could implement a rule it issued in July 2019 while it faces legal challenges; that rule bars those who have reached the southern border through another country without seeking asylum there from requesting asylum in the United States. (See CRS Legal Sidebar LSB 10337, Asylum Bar for Migrants Who Reach the Southern Border through Third Countries: Issues and Ongoing Litigation.) Figure I. Mexico: Reported Apprehensions of Migrants from Northern Triangle Countries and Asylum Applications Apprehensions from N. Triangle Countries 180K 120K 60K 40K 60K 20K -- 2007 2019* 2007 2019* *Apprehensions through June 2019 excluding 1,061April, 603 May, and 974 June cases under review; Asylum applications through July 2019. Asylum country of origin not available before 2013. Source: CRS. Information from Mexico's Secretary of the Interior. Notes: June 2019 is the most recent data publicly available. Immigration Control In 2014, Mexico implemented a Southern Border Plan that established naval bases on its rivers, security cordons north of its borders with Guatemala and Belize, and a drone surveillance program. Unarmed agents from the National Migration Institute (INM) increased operations along train routes and at bus stations, which led to increased apprehensions. INM improved infrastructure at border Updated September 17, 2019 fforts crossings and created mobile highway checkpoints. INM also sought to professionalize its workforce and improve coordination with Mexican federal police, navy, army, and customs agencies. The State Department's 2019 Trafficking in Persons report documents how migrants in Mexico are vulnerable to human rights abuses and human trafficking. Human rights groups argued that the Southern Border Plan pushed migrants to take more dangerous routes, which increased their reliance on smugglers. These groups criticized the Mexican government for not adequately addressing corruption among police and migration officials or prosecuting crimes against migrants. By 2018, increasing numbers of migrants began to travel in large groups (sometimes called caravans) as a way to share resources and gain protection. President Andr6s Manuel L6pez Obrador took office in December 2018, endorsing a humanitarian approach to migration and pledging to promote development in Central America as a solution to unauthorized migration. Nevertheless, L6pez Obrador did not increase funding for Mexico's backlogged Commission for the Aid of Refugees (COMAR). His government's austerity policies also could prevent him from fulfilling his pledge to invest $100 million in the Northern Triangle. L6pez Obrador has taken a harder line toward migration since April 2019, as he has faced pressure from the United States to reduce migrant flows and Mexico's detention facilities have grown overcrowded. His government has increased migrant apprehensions (see Figure 2) and restricted access to humanitarian visas, particularly for those traveling in caravans. Figure 2. Mexico: Recent Trends in Reported Apprehensions of Central American Migrants Apprehensions p 20K -dm--i-tr--i- 10K Honduras GuLatemala J F MAM I J A S NID J F MA Mi* 2018019 *Excluding 1,061 April, 603 May, and 974 June cases still under review. Source: CRS. Data from Mexico's Secretary of the Interior. Notes: June 2019 is the most recent data publicly available. Humanitarian Protection Mexico has a broader definition of refugee than the United States and the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention; it recognizes ttps:/crsreports.congress.gov 0 Asylum Applicatfons

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