Mexican Efforts to Slow Migrant Caravans Draw Claims of Police Brutality
Claims of police brutality are rising in Mexico as immigration officials and federal police try to stop caravans of Caribbean migrants from making their way north.
El sometimiento de la #CaravanaMigrante con el @INAMI_mx y @GN_MEXICO_ refleja la estrategia de #contención del presidente @lopezobrador_ en la #FronteraSur El 31/08 #INM dijo “habrá revisión del status migratorio” y el 01/09 hicieron redadas violentas. pic.twitter.com/fOmrIVsIGa
— Benjamin Alfaro (@Tapabav) September 1, 2021
The controversy began over the weekend when more than a thousand migrants from Caribbean countries grew tired of waiting for travel documents to leave the southern Mexican border. According to Proceso, the group left Tapachula, Chiapas, and began walking inland. Unlike previous migrant caravans, this one did not start in Central America is does not appear to include many from the Northern Triangle.
Niñas/bebés #haitianos fueron capturados violentamente en #Redada esta madrugada al 2do grupo de #CaravanaMigrante que llegó a #Mapastepec donde descansaban y se protegían de la lluvia. Cientos de agentes del @INAMI_mx y @GN_MEXICO_ los sorprendieron dormidos pic.twitter.com/Ye19um5eDj
— Benjamin Alfaro (@Tapabav) September 1, 2021
Since then, agents with Mexico’s National Guard and National Immigration Institute (INM) have been clashing with the migrants as they try to detain them.
“Sean humanos” pide habitante de #Mapastepec a @GN_MEXICO_ e @INAMI_mx mientras graba redada contra una familia de haitianos. El hombre yace en el piso bajo una veintena de federales que lo someten e impiden la grabación @LeonKrauze@MMMesoamericano@ONUDHmexicopic.twitter.com/y84WHbbMfR
— Benjamin Alfaro (@Tapabav) August 31, 2021
So far, three groups or small caravans have tried to leave the southern state and clashed with authorities.
El sometimiento de la #CaravanaMigrante con el @INAMI_mx y @GN_MEXICO_ refleja la estrategia de #contención del presidente @lopezobrador_ en la #FronteraSur El 31/08 #INM dijo “habrá revisión del status migratorio” y el 01/09 hicieron redadas violentas. pic.twitter.com/fOmrIVsIGa
— Benjamin Alfaro (@Tapabav) September 1, 2021
Since the start of the week, photographs and videos circulated on social media capturing numerous violent clashes.
In one, a video shows an INM agent kicking a migrant on the ground, which led to the suspension of two agents and an ongoing investigation into police brutality.
Vergonzoso la manera de actuar contra migrantes por parte de los agentes del INM. Uno le aplica la llave china como vulgar chinero y otro…¡Le patea la cara ! INACEPTABLE
— Ciro Di Costanzo (@CiroDi) August 30, 2021
Media personalities bashed Mexico’s government, claiming President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is doing the bidding of the U.S. by stopping the caravans.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at .
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at .
