Migrant caravan shifts focus from U.S. to Mexico City

A new migrant caravan, named ‘Sueños sin fronteras’ (Dreams Without Borders), has departed from Tapachula, Chiapas, with the intention of reaching Mexico City rather than the United States. The group consists of approximately 500 to 800 individuals representing 10 different nationalities, including people from Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, and Venezuela.

Experts suggest this shift reflects a change in migration patterns, where Mexico is increasingly viewed as a destination for settlement and employment rather than just a transit country. This trend is attributed to stricter immigration policies in the United States and the saturation of the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) in southern Mexico, where processing times for asylum claims can exceed one year.

Many participants in the caravan are individuals who have been deported from the United States. Their goal is to regularize their status in Mexico or settle in northern border regions to remain close to family members still living in the U.S. While some seek work in major cities like Mexico City, others aim to move toward Baja California or other northern states to maintain proximity to the border.