Chihuahua forced displacement rises amid organized crime violence

Forced displacement in Chihuahua has increased significantly during the administration of Governor Maru Campos, rising from approximately 1,500 people in 2021 to nearly 5,000 in 2025. This surge is driven by organized crime groups fighting for control in the Sierra Tarahumara region, specifically in municipalities such as Moris and Uruachi.

Displaced families, including indigenous and farming communities, have lost homes, livestock, and crops to violence. Recently, families seeking shelter occupied abandoned houses in the Pensiones Civiles del Estado housing development in Cuauhtémoc. They stated they were not seeking free housing but were willing to pay a fair price for properties that had been vacant for over 15 years.

However, the families were forcibly removed by municipal police at the request of the State Housing Commission (Coesvi) and a real estate company, AGH. Coesvi had reportedly awarded the 165 houses in the development to the company for approximately 45.6 million pesos. The Commission for Solidarity and Defense of Human Rights (Cosyddhac) has criticized the lack of an integral public policy to address the root causes of displacement and the state's failure to provide adequate housing solutions.