The story of migration at the Mexico-U.S. border in 2023 unfolds with mounting tension, political stakes, and human consequences. It’s a complex tale, centering on a mounting crisis, corruption accusations, and international pressure. At the heart of it all is Francisco Garduño Yáñez, the then-head of Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM), whose controversial leadership became emblematic of a larger struggle—one involving two nations grappling with the enormity of migration.
"The Americans Were Not Happy"
For months, U.S. officials signaled their growing frustration with Mexico’s handling of migration. The situation at the border was out of control, and the U.S. felt Mexico wasn’t doing enough. By September 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection had encountered nearly 220,000 migrants, marking one of the largest influxes ever recorded. President Biden, facing dwindling approval ratings and public criticism over border policies ahead of the 2024 elections, sent Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to Mexico City in October. Their message was blunt: action was urgently needed.
The Americans laid bare disturbing realities. Freight trains traveling from Mexico to the U.S. had become informal migrant highways, often facilitated by corrupt conductors. Migrants surged in groups too large for either country to effectively manage. Yet, the data from Mr. Garduño’s INM was at odds with U.S. and Panamanian reports, further frustrating American officials. The disarray eventually reached Mexico’s Defense Secretary, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, who discovered the crisis was far graver than he’d been led to believe. Enraged, Sandoval confronted Garduño for “hiding information,” accusing him of making it appear Mexico had the situation under control—a claim that had embarrassed Sandoval in front of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Corruption and Fire: A Bureaucracy in Crisis
Even before this diplomatic clash, Garduño was already embroiled in controversy. A former director of Mexico’s prison system, he was criticized for heavily relying on military troops to manage migration flows, an approach many deemed inefficient and inhumane. His agency faced accusations of corruption, including allegations that officials accepted bribes to wave migrants through the country toward the U.S. border. For desperate migrants, payments often opened doors—facilitating travels or bypassing detention centers controlled by the INM.
But allegations against the INM went far beyond bribery. A 2022 report, commissioned by the British Embassy, revealed systemic corruption, including sexual abuse, extortion, and collusion with organized crime. Migrants were targeted, kidnapped, and ransomed by criminal groups, often with government complicity. Garduño defended his track record, pointing to efforts like firing corrupt agents and issuing documents to nearly two million migrants between 2018 and 2022. He called it a “humanitarian policy of integration and brotherhood.” Still, his critics noted the cracks in his management.
Things escalated tragically in March 2023, when a fire broke out in one of the INM’s detention centers, killing 40 detained migrants. The incident caused public outrage across Mexico and neighboring countries. Charged with criminal negligence for the deaths, Garduño’s position seemed untenable. Many expected him to resign or be removed. Instead, he stayed—and the tragedy became part of the shadow looming over Mexican migration policy.
The "Golden Ticket" That Broke
One of the key migration policies under scrutiny involved asylum seekers’ permits, which allowed migrants to remain in Mexico legally to study, work, and access services. Though supposed to keep asylum seekers in specific states, these permits often became unofficial passage tickets for migrants heading north to the U.S. border. In Tapachula, a major transit hub on Mexico’s southern border, daily asylum requests soared to 7,000, overwhelming local offices. The use—and abuse—of permits came to the forefront during an emergency meeting convened by President López Obrador in October.
Luisa María Alcalde Luján, the then-interior secretary, accused Garduño of allowing permits to be easily exploited. During the meeting, she stripped him of the authority to issue permits without oversight from other governmental branches. Her decision left thousands of migrants in legal limbo, unable to work legally in Mexico. This shift only heightened the vulnerabilities of migrants, making them "easier prey" for criminal organizations, according to Dana Graber Ladek of the International Organization for Migration. The resulting chaos underscored how sudden policy changes often deepened migrants’ plight instead of resolving systemic issues.
The Numbers Game: A Crisis of Trust
Confusion around data further undermined Mexico’s migration policies. The Mexican government consistently presented contradictory statistics. While the military reported encountering five million migrants from 2018 to 2024, the Interior Ministry reported only half that number. For 2023, INM noted nearly 1.5 million migrant encounters, yet the Interior Ministry claimed 500,000. The disparities, coupled with frequent reporting changes, left experts puzzled. "It’s confusing, it undermines the government’s credibility," argued Adam Isacson from the Washington Office on Latin America.
The flawed data made assessing migration trends almost impossible, casting doubt on Mexico’s capacity to adapt to surging numbers. In many ways, its failure to present a clear picture mirrored its inability to manage the crisis effectively.
Budget Cuts and a Leaked Memo
By late 2023, Mexico’s migration agency faced another blow. In November, the Treasury Secretary temporarily froze government funding, including allocations to INM. Instead of advocating for funds, Garduño issued a bombshell memo suspending key migration operations: deportation flights, checkpoints, and the busing program that relieved pressure on northern border towns. Unsurprisingly, the memo was leaked to the press, triggering a massive rush of migrants toward the U.S. border.
The U.S. was caught off guard—December marked the highest-ever monthly migrant encounters, at 250,000. U.S. officials closed border crossings in Arizona, California, and Texas, while Mexico scrambled to restart funding and pledged tighter measures. Secretary Blinken returned to Mexico City with an even larger delegation to restore order. By January 2024, stricter enforcement by both nations halved the migrant flow at the U.S. border, a temporary reprieve to the ongoing crisis.
Shifting Leadership, Lingering Challenges
The Mexican government recognized the need for change. In October 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico’s new president. She replaced Garduño as head of the migration agency, while retaining him as an adviser tasked with fostering a "profound transformation" of the INM. Many saw Garduño’s survival—considering his controversies—as emblematic of his deep ties to López Obrador, his ally of decades. Questions about his future lingered, given the criminal charges he still faced for the detention center fire.
With former U.S. President Donald Trump preparing to return to office in January 2024, the bilateral stress over migration looms ever larger. The U.S. crackdown on asylum, combined with Mexico’s militarization of migration enforcement, has strained both logistics and international goodwill. While unlawful border crossings have declined for now, many wonder how sustainable this approach will be—and what costs it entails for the vulnerable migrants caught in the crossfire.
The Bigger Picture
The saga of 2023 migration paints a stark picture of political dysfunction and human suffering. The broken systems on both sides of the border reveal an environment ripe for exploitation—whether by corrupt officials, criminal groups, or political actors. At its core lies an unresolved crisis, where leadership, accountability, and empathy often appear at odds. And while data points may fluctuate, the underlying question remains: how do two nations work together to tackle migration without undermining the very humanity they aim to protect? For now, the answer remains unclear.
