Alert of more operations in Juárez against migrants

Jesus Estrada

Correspondent

Newspaper La Jornada
Saturday March 11, 2023, p. 13

Chihuahua, Chih., Organizations that defend migrants in Chihuahua, such as the Paso del Norte Human Rights Center and Uno de Siete Migrando, AC, with the support of more than 34 shelters and collectives in the country, warned of an increase in police operations in Ciudad Juárez that criminalize migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons and asylum seekers.

In a public position, which was joined by organizations such as the Casa del Migrante de Tijuana and the Fray Matías de Córdova Human Rights Center in Ta pachula, among others, they denounced the National Institute of Migration (INM) for carrying out control reviews in the downtown area of ​​Juárez, with the support of the National Guard and the municipal police.

They pointed out that they are constant complaints by migrants for theft of belongings, extortion and arbitrary arrests, and organizations witness the repeated use of all kinds of harassment by agents of the aforementioned institutions. The most recent case of abuse of authority, they said, was on March 8, when INM personnel carried out an operation at the Úrsula hotel, with 15 municipal patrols, five units of the National Guard and a tank from the Mexican Army.

The abuses have intensified, specifically by Migration agents and municipal police officers; Joint control operations in the downtown area of ​​the city have intensified, along with arbitrary arrests where municipal agents question the immigration status of people, extort them, tear up documentation and steal money and other belongings..

Regarding the number of cases or formal complaints, they warned that, out of fear, most of them leave the city without having filed a complaint or complaint.

They added that violence against people on the move is being transferred to humanitarian workers and defenders who denounce human rights violations, during the joint operation at the Úrsula hotel, National Guard personnel requested names from journalists who were documenting the events, in addition to recording and take pictures of defenders.