The Mexican government claims to be deporting more Central Americans found in the country illegally and says the move is a direct result of enhanced enforcement operations mandated in a deal with the Trump administration.
President Trump has railed repeatedly against Mexico’s immigration policies, which he says allow far too many people to cross Mexico’s southern border to make their way to the northern border with the United States, where many try to cross illegally.
Data released Tuesday evening by Mexico’s Institute of National Migration show the country has sent back more people in the first few weeks of June than any recent month.
Between June 1 and June 24, Mexican immigration officials returned 17,263 people, according to a Mexican media report. At that rate, around 25,000 people are expected to be deported by the end of the month.
That figure compares to the 16,500 removed in May and 14,900 in April. Earlier months in the year saw 5,000 to 10,000 removals, though the number of people attempting to pass through Mexico on the way to the U.S. may have been lower than current levels.
Since December, Mexico has removed 77,483 people who did not have documents that allowed them to travel through the country.
The Mexican government said it is aware of approximately 500,000 migrants who have entered the country over the past six months, most of whom entered illegally. Mexico requires those passing through to obtain a temporary visa. The half-million figure is partially based on the number of unauthorized immigrants U.S. officials have apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Roughly 105,000 people have registered to travel through or remain in the country.
Approximately 15,000 Central Americans have been returned to northern border cities in Mexico while they await asylum decisions by the U.S. government. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan said earlier this spring that the process can take up to two to five years because 900,000 cases are already waiting to be decided by the country’s limited immigration judges.
