Medellin, Colombia — On Tuesday, more than 2,000 migrants, mainly from Haiti, reportedly left the southeastern city of Tapachula in Chiapas state for cities in central and northern Mexico.
In years past, migrant caravans crossing Mexico were usually headed to the United States. But since the second Trump administration tightened asylum policies, that goal has become more unrealistic, and Mexico is increasingly becoming a destination for migrants, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
According to the migrant news website Conexión Migrante, some of the people who make up the “David” caravan have spent more than several weeks in southern Mexico waiting for immigration conditions to normalize so they can move more freely in the country. As Mexico receives more asylum requests, the process may slow down.
There were nearly half a million asylum requests in Mexico between 2020 and 2024, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), leading to lengthy delays by Mexico’s Committee for Assistance to Refugees (COMAR) and the National Institute of Migration (INM).
As of September 2025, there were over 58,800 new asylum applications, and COMAR has increased its processing capacity five-fold since 2018.
According to the INM strategic plan, between October 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, Mexico received 142,145 requests for humanitarian visas, but only 5,191 were approved.
The bureaucratic problems predated Trump’s second term immigration crackdown.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to COMAR’s suspension of activities and a backlog of asylum petitions. To make matters worse, the Mexican government and the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) cut the budget for COMAR following Trump’s suspension of the CBP One digital asylum-seeking app in the United States in January 2025.
Through Whatsapp groups organized for the caravan, many members cited extreme delays in processing asylum applications as a motivation for heading north from Mexico’s southern border. Lack of employment and cost of living were also mentioned, according to Conexión Migrante.
Without documentation, many foreign immigrants find themselves in legal trouble and risk being stopped by authorities, deported or sent back to Guatemala’s southern border.
Migrants have also been targeted by criminal groups for kidnapping and extortion. ProPublica reports that the problem has entered a new phase in scale and nature. According to the International Rescue Committee, immigrants’ undefined legal status often forces them to work long hours for low wages.
A migrant caravan of 18 people has left Tapachula since Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, but none have gone further than Oaxaca, the state near Chiapas.
The ‘Genesis’ migrant caravan departed from Tapachula in late March, but was intercepted and disbanded by the INM after 12 days.
According to local news outlet Diario del Sur, David’s caravan has arrived in Escuintla, Chiapas, after a three-day trek, where its members will rest before continuing their journey.
Reporteros del Sur said many migrants were showing signs of extreme physical exhaustion, and about 30 people who lagged behind the main group were sent back to Tapachula, where they are now under the protection of authorities.
Featured Image Caption: David Migrant Caravan in Mexico
Featured Image Credit: @reporterosdlsur via X
