Mexican Authorities Crack Down on Migrants Riding Freight Trains to U.S. Border
Mexican authorities took decisive action in a major new enforcement effort to block dozens of migrants from hitching rides on freight trains bound for the U.S., known as “The Beast,” in Mexico City on Friday.
Thousands of people have been using these trains as a perilous means of reaching the Mexico-U.S. border before making illegal crossings.
Earlier this week, the Mexican railway company Ferromex temporarily suspended operations of 60 trains in the northern part of the country due to migrants getting injured while attempting to climb aboard the freight cars. In response, Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) deployed agents to discourage migrants from boarding.
At a railway near a trash dump in Huehuetoca, north of Mexico City, around 40 INM agents in more than a dozen vans closely monitored the tracks to prevent access by migrants. They also deployed a drone to locate those who had fled into the nearby hills.
“They forced us away from the rail,” said Jason, a Venezuelan migrant. “We have no other options anymore.” Migrants carrying backpacks and water jugs then made their way on foot to the nearest town.
The INM announced a partnership with Ferromex to identify strategic points for dissuading migrants from attempting to board the trains. Ferromex reported several injuries and deaths in recent days, with some migrants even trying to hop onto moving freight cars despite the grave risks involved.
This crackdown comes as a surge of desperate migrants seeks access to the U.S., overwhelming both Mexican and U.S. border officials. Despite the U.S. government’s stern message of “Do not come,” migrants continue to undertake the dangerous journey.
Border patrols along the southern border are grappling with an unprecedented number of illegal crossings. Over one weekend, there were more than 35,000 migrant encounters along the southern border, averaging nearly 9,000 per day. Last month, over 20,000 migrants were in Border Patrol custody in the Rio Grande Valley sector in Texas, including families with infants and children, as well as unaccompanied minors. Many families stopped along the Rio Grande Valley were released with future court dates.