Mapping the Other Mexican Border

Since 2014 the Mexican government's Southern Border Program has with, U.S. assistance, sought to lessen the numbers of 'illegal' migrants crossing the southern border of Mexico. The United States has helped Mexico in this effort with money, equipment and training. This U.S. assistance has mainly been funded through the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) has created an interactive map to raise awareness of the conditions migrants are facing along Mexico's southern border. The Migration through Mexico map plots Mexican border checkpoints, detention centers and deportation sites. It also plots reported attacks on migrants and new migrant routes that have arisen since the Southern Border Program began,

WOLA reports that Mexico's migration crackdown has led many migrants to rely on more dangerous routes into Mexico. It also reports that excessive force has been used by border authorities and that significant numbers of Central Americans fleeing violence have been refused refugee status by Mexico. You can read more about the impact of mexico's Southern Border Program in WOLA's report, Increased Enforcement at Mexico’s Southern Border: An Update on Security, Migration, and U.S. Assistance.