Cuban migrants revolt in Mexican detention center as US deportation orders surge

Around 40 Cuban migrants at the Siglo XXI immigration station in Chiapas, Mexico, mutinied on Saturday night after learning they would be deported. They set fire to mattresses inside the facility, prompting a rapid response by municipal, state and federal police and the National Institute of Migration (INM). Federal forces restored order, and activists reported at least one death among the detainees, accusing the INM of opacity and mismanagement.

The unrest comes as U.S. immigration courts have dramatically increased monthly deportation orders, rising from roughly 33,000 to about 79,000. In Florida, 4,007 Cuban nationals received deportation orders between October 2025 and June 2026, many issued in absentia. Courts are also shortening notice periods for hearings, with some cases receiving only 42 days' advance warning. These trends heighten pressure on Cuban migrants awaiting proceedings in both the United States and Mexico.