Tijuana, Baja California – The National Migration Institute reported 900 people presented for irregular status in Baja California between January and May. Eight in ten of those detentions happened in Tijuana, according to Interior Ministry figures cited by the outlet. The agency’s bulletin frames the number as part of ongoing enforcement along the border.
The update notes that many of the detained people came from Venezuela and Guatemala. It does not list a full breakdown by nationality. It also does not detail case outcomes after the initial presentation to INM. The count remains the headline, and the concentration in Tijuana shapes the local impact.
900 migrant apprehensions in Tijuana
The Interior Ministry’s Unidad de Política Migratoria supplied the base data. INM’s Baja California office relayed that 80 percent of the detentions occurred in Tijuana. That ratio underscores how the city carries most of the state’s enforcement load in this period.
Officials link the trend to tighter policies in Mexico and the United States. The agency did not describe specific operations street by street. It presented totals that align with stepped-up checks in border corridors and urban hubs.
Calls to ease the process
Activists in Tijuana say strict rules slow legal paths and push people into informal work. They argue that regularization can take more than a year. During that wait, families struggle to rent homes and enroll in school. The risk of abuse rises when paperwork lags and formal jobs stay out of reach. El Imparcial
Advocates want simpler procedures and faster permits from INM. They say the process should match the realities of a busy border city. The report itself does not answer those concerns, but the reaction is part of the story on the ground.
A community response takes shape
Andrea Rincón, who leads the civil group Border Young, links slow permits to discrimination. She argues that delays keep families exposed and invisible. Her message comes with an invitation, not only a critique.
Rincón announced the “Carnaval de las Mariposas,” a weekend event where migrants and locals will meet in public spaces. Organizers expect people from Mexico, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Haiti, Ghana, and Colombia. The festival aims to share food, music, and dance while making the case for dignity and due process.
What the numbers do not say
The bulletin gives totals and a headline ratio. It does not include a full nationality table, locations of arrests, or the share released with documents. It also does not track how many entered shelters or moved on. Those gaps matter for city planning and aid groups that staff the front lines.
What the update does make clear is momentum. Enforcement remains strong, and Tijuana bears most of the pressure. That reality shapes shelters, schools, and the job market. It also shapes how long families wait for an answer from the state.
