By Edith Loyola 
Thousands of foreign migrants, primarily from Latin America and the Caribbean, have abandoned their journey toward the United States and have instead settled in southern Mexico. This trend is documented in a report by the international news agency EFE, which highlights how the border city of Tapachula has become a key location where migrants survive through informal labor while awaiting decisions on their immigration procedures.
As a result of the stricter immigration policies implemented in the U.S. during Donald Trump’s administration, many migrants chose to remain in Mexico. The cancellation of tools such as the CBP One app—which allowed migrants to request asylum from Mexican territory—and the rise in mass deportations have been decisive factors behind this shift in migration patterns.
In Tapachula, a city located in the state of Chiapas, a significant portion of this migrant population now waits in limbo. According to EFE’s findings, migrants engage in informal jobs such as beverage vendors, waiters, market porters, construction workers, carpenters, nurses, shopkeepers, and even sex workers. Some have set up small food stalls offering traditional dishes like Salvadoran pupusas or tamales.
One of the most representative testimonies featured in the report is that of Alexander Barrera Serrano, a Cuban migrant who has lived in Tapachula for two years. Despite his efforts to legalize his status through the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (Comar), his applications have been rejected twice. Consequently, he turned to informal work in order to make a living.
“I make all kinds of furniture—beds, chairs, whatever is needed. It was hard for me because we come here without any resources. Here, money is the only protection—you have to have cash. I started a business with a local man, and I give him a share as a partner. That’s how we cover the shop’s rent,” Barrera explained.
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According to official data, Mexico received 24,413 deported individuals during the first eight weeks of the new U.S. administration, 4,567 of whom were foreign nationals. This was confirmed by President Claudia Sheinbaum, who noted that the figure “is not very high.”
In this context, Mexican nationals who are deported receive support through the “Tarjeta Bienestar Paisano”, which provides 2,000 pesos and employment assistance. By contrast, foreign migrants only receive guidance to regularize their status or to return to their country of origin, a situation that has left many in legal limbo.
On this matter, Luis Rey García Villagrán, president of the Center for Human Dignity (CDH), denounced the exploitative conditions faced by thousands of migrants who, lacking work permits, are unable to access fair employment.
“There are about 30,000 migrants, most of them underemployed, working in the streets, selling goods, working as market porters, earning 180 pesos from sunrise to sunset—from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are many migrants working under such conditions,” Villagrán stated.
Similarly, Dilan Nieves, a Venezuelan migrant, decided to stay in Mexico after facing the uncertainty of U.S. immigration policies. He purchased a motorcycle and began selling bread to support himself.
“Not all of us are lazy people. We’re not freeloaders. I’d rather work than ask people for money. As you can see, I ride around and earn my living without begging anyone. In Venezuela, I used to operate heavy machinery, but the pay was terrible,” Nieves shared.
Meanwhile, other migrants—including Haitians and Central Americans—are attending vocational training programs in areas such as carpentry, cooking, and sewing at the Community Development Center (Cedeco). Their hope is to integrate productively into Mexican society while awaiting the resolution of their asylum cases.
Finally, it is worth noting that Mexico now ranks as the third country in the world with the most asylum applications, behind only the United States and Germany. According to figures from the Mexican government, a total of 78,975 asylum requests were recorded in 2024, highlighting both the magnitude of the migration challenge and the urgent need to improve support systems for those seeking refuge.