# Migrant caravan movement and deportation trends in Mexico

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/migrant-caravan-movement-in-mexico
> Updated: 2026-08-24T17:20:40.000Z. Sources: 21. Developments: 3.

The migrant caravan ‘Sueños sin Fronteras’ (Dreams Without Borders) departed from Tapachula, Chiapas, on August 19, 2026. Comprising approximately 700 to 800 individuals from various nationalities—including Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia—the group is traveling toward Mexico City and northern states like Nuevo León to seek employment and legal documentation.

Participants have requested security during their journey through central Mexico. The movement is driven by extreme economic hardship, high living costs, and significant delays in asylum processing by the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR), where wait times can exceed one year. Many in the group are individuals previously deported from the United States who seek to regularize their status in Mexico or settle in northern regions to remain near family.

This caravan movement occurs as Tapachula has evolved into a major hub for those expelled from the United States. Data from the Mexican Institute for Migration indicates that between January 2025 and March 2026, 12,977 non-Mexicans were expelled from the U.S. into southern Mexico. This includes individuals from countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Haiti. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has stated the administration’s objective is ‘zero border crossings,’ a goal pursued through pressure on regional governments. Consequently, Tapachula now hosts approximately 60,000 foreigners, while Mexican officials monitor transit corridors to manage the movement of deportees.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-24: Tapachula becomes a major hub for U.S. deportees in southern Mexico

The U.S. is expelling thousands of non-Mexican migrants to Tapachula, Mexico, as part of a strategic shift to relocate the border and achieve zero crossings.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tapachula-becomes-a-major-hub-for-us-deportations-to-southern-mexico

### 2026-08-22: Migrant caravan shifts focus from U.S. to Mexico City

A migrant caravan of hundreds from various nationalities is traveling from Tapachula to Mexico City, seeking settlement and work in Mexico due to stricter U.S. immigration policies and recent deportations.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/migrant-caravan-shifts-focus-from-us-to-mexico-city

### 2026-08-19: Migrant caravan departs Tapachula for central Mexico

A migrant caravan of approximately 800 people departed Tapachula, Mexico, heading toward Mexico City due to administrative delays with COMAR and lack of economic opportunities in the southern region.

12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/migrants-prepare-caravan-from-tapachula-toward-mexico-city

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Cite as: Migrant caravan movement and deportation trends in Mexico. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/migrant-caravan-movement-in-mexico