Cuban migrants riot, set fire at Tapachula immigration station

Around 40 Cuban migrants rioted at the Siglo XXI immigration station in Tapachula, Chiapas, after learning they would be deported. The protest included setting fire to mattresses inside the facility. Federal, state and municipal police, along with the National Guard, established a perimeter and entered the building to restore order. No injuries were reported and two migrants were detained for allegedly attempting to start the fire. The National Migration Institute (INM) said the incident was under control but did not confirm whether the deportations will proceed. Activist Luis Rey García Villagrán of the Centro de Dignificación Humana demanded transparency, stating, “We demand that the immigration station open its doors to the public.” He also highlighted that roughly 65,000 migrants remain stranded at Mexico’s southern border. The riot is the first recorded under President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration and underscores ongoing tensions over U.S.‑driven deportations and Mexico’s asylum processes.