Mexico

Mexico

HIAS staff Laura Bautista and Paula García lead a workshop on mental health and psychological support for emergencies at the "Una Luz en el Camino" shelter in Tapachula, Mexico, 13 September, 2023. (Selia Montes for HIAS)

Country Director

Blanca Lomeli

Office Locations

Tijuana, Mexicali, Nogales, Ciudad Juárez, Reynosa, Matamoros, Monterrey, Palenque y Tapachula.

Founded

2019

Staff Size

90

Contact

HIAS Mexico

Mexico is a transit and destination country for vulnerable refugees and migrants, especially from Central America, Venezuela, and Cuba. The influx of asylum seekers and transit migrants has created challenges for civil society organizations and first-responders.

Thousands of refugees and other forcibly displaced people make their way to Mexico’s northern border from Latin America and beyond to seek asylum in the United States. This increase in migration has been driven by the effects of violence, armed conflict, climate change, and gender-based violence in the region. Migratory policies such as the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP), border closures, expulsions under Title 42, and the CBP One application are also altering migratory
flows at the border.

Refugees, migrants, and internally displaced people living in Mexico’s northern border cities, particularly women, girls, and LGBTQ+ refugees, face extremely high levels of violence, including kidnapping, human trafficking, and exploitation. Resources are limited, and humanitarian organizations are overwhelmed.

Throughout the country, displaced people face challenges in accessing essential services, programs, and mechanisms to exercise their rights.

228,854

people provided with different services directly and indirectly in 2022

Our Work

HIAS supports refugees to rebuild their lives and reunite with family members in safety and freedom. HIAS’ response in Mexico helps refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants to obtain legal protection by pursuing their claims for asylum in the U.S. or by applying for legal protection in Mexico.

We provide legal services and support, including free legal representation for asylum seekers so that everyone around the world, including displaced people, can have equal access to their legal rights.

HIAS’ community-based mental health programs promote the well-being of individuals, families, and communities affected by crisis and conflict so they can heal and rebuild their lives.

We work to protect the right of women, girls, and LGBTQ communities to access their full potential and live free from violence by supporting survivors, mitigating risks, and transforming beliefs that perpetuate GBV.

We provide legal services and support, including free legal representation for asylum seekers so that everyone around the world, including displaced people, can have equal access to their legal rights.

Featured

The End of Title 42: Five Key Takeaways

In preparation for the end of Title 42, the Biden Administration announced a package of policies that paired restrictions on the asylum process at the U.S.-Mexico border with commitments to facilitate and expand legal pathways, including resettlement, for displaced people from the Western Hemisphere. Here are some key takeaways on what to expect, and what HIAS is doing to help.

Read more
El Salvadorian migrants Yesenia Martinez and her daughter Jaretzy wait alongside other migrants to be processed after crossing the Rio Grande into the U.S. on May 03, 2022 in La Joya, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

El Salvadorian migrants Yesenia Martinez and her daughter Jaretzy wait alongside other migrants to be processed after crossing the Rio Grande into the U.S. on May 03, 2022 in La Joya, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

HIAS’ services are free. If someone tries to charge you for services claiming they represent HIAS, please report it at our confidential email address: ethics@hias.org. HIAS has a zero-tolerance policy on fraud and corruption. 

For any other inquiries please email us at info@hias.org.

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