Migrants march from southern Mexico, protesting delays and seeking papers to work

Migrants depart Tapachula, Mexico, hoping to reach the country's northern border and ultimately the United States, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

TAPACHULA, Mexico — A group of about 500 migrants travelled through southern Mexico Wednesday, protesting long waits for paperwork and requesting authorization to move to areas with greater employment prospects.

The group left Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala, Tuesday night to highlight their situation and gain permission to find work elsewhere while their immigration status is processed.

Tapachula has long served as a hub for transient populations. In recent months, it has seen an influx of third-country nationals, particularly Cubans deported by the Trump administration, although the Mexican government has yet to release official figures regarding these arrivals.

While foot marches are common in the region, they no longer target the United States. Over the past year, groups of a few hundred migrants have typically dispersed within days without traveling beyond southern Mexico.

“Without papers, there are no opportunities. We migrants feel like prisoners in Tapachula,” said Joandri Velázquez Zaragoza, a 40-year-old Cuban national who supports a wife and two children back home, where a worsening crisis is marked by widespread power outages and food shortages.

The evangelical pastor, who also works as a mason, arrived in Tapachula in August 2024. He originally sought an asylum appointment in the U.S through the CBP One mobile app but was unsuccessful. Following the termination of the program under the return of the Trump administration, he filed for asylum in Mexico; however, his application and subsequent appeal were both rejected.

The group marched under the observation of the National Guard, the National Migration Institute, and local police, none of whom attempted to stop them. On the day the march began, the Mexican government announced a new agreement to boost labor inclusion for people in transit across southern states such as Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco and Quintana Roo.

The Southern Border Monitoring Collective, a coalition of civil society groups, warned this week that people in transit are paying up to 40,000 Mexican pesos (about US$2,300) for documentation that is legally free. The collective also denounced the increased militarization of Mexico’s southern border and the Northern Triangle, stating that heightened security measures have intensified the risks and abuses faced by migrants.

On Monday, Mexican authorities discovered 229 migrants trapped inside a truck in Veracruz. The vehicle had been towed to a police impound lot following a stolen-vehicle report, but officers only realized people were inside when the migrants began shouting for help.

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Edgar H. Clemente, The Associated Press