A Cuban national was apprehended on the night of May 4th during an immigration sweep in a building located in the San Rafael neighborhood of Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. This operation is part of a surge in crackdowns that have escalated across the Mexican capital over the past week.
According to the independent outlet Conexión Migrante, her husband, Alexis, a Mexican citizen, was alerted by neighbors and rushed to the scene. There, he encountered personnel from the Secretariat of the Navy, traffic police, auxiliary officers, and an agent from the National Institute of Migration (INM).
A total of 11 migrants were detained during this operation.
Alexis recounted that the officials refused to identify themselves and did not present any official warrant authorizing the arrests.
In a video captured by Conexión Migrante, Alexis can be heard demanding from the agents: "Can you show it to me, please? Yes, can you show it to me, actually, because this is about my wife. My wife has a right to nationality. You haven't shown it to me, can you please show it to me with your official number and badge?"
After hours of unanswered calls to migration offices, Alexis discovered that his wife had been taken to the "Las Agujas" Migration Station in Iztapalapa.
She was eventually released but relocated to the state of Veracruz, far from her husband, without any clear explanation for her detention.
Heightened Immigration Actions in Mexico City
This incident is not isolated. Similar operations have been reported outside the Antara shopping center in Miguel Hidalgo, as well as in La Merced, Tepito, Guerrero, Polanco, Patriotismo, and Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl.
On April 30th, user Luis Valenzuela took to X to criticize the arrests outside Antara: "These fascists from the National Institute of Migration conducted a raid against migrants right in front of me. They are a disgrace to Mexico."
On May 5th, at least 15 INM agents entered a building in the Guerrero neighborhood without a judicial warrant to carry out further detentions, as documented by the Jesuit Network with Migrants Mexico in a statement released on Wednesday.
The organization highlights that these operations involve the INM, the Army, the Navy, the National Guard, and the Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City, suggesting a deeply militarized immigration control scheme.
The Jesuit Network also reported at least two cases of home invasions, including that of young Venezuelans in the Doctores neighborhood, who were first taken to "Las Agujas" and subsequently to the "Siglo XXI" migration station in Tapachula.
Migratory Policies and International Events
Civil organizations link these operations to a policy of "order and cleanliness" of public spaces in anticipation of the 2026 World Cup, warning that "an international event cannot be used as a pretext to legitimize practices of harassment, criminalization, and expulsion of migrants."
The situation is particularly harsh for Cubans. Thousands are stranded in Tapachula, while between 1,200 and 1,500 marched in a caravan towards Mexico City seeking better conditions.
Since February 2026, the Trump administration has deported approximately 6,000 Cubans to Mexico, with two or three flights arriving weekly in Chiapas and Tabasco, according to data presented in a U.S. federal court. Meanwhile, ICE has increased its detentions of Cubans by 463% between late 2024 and January 2026.
The irony has not gone unnoticed on social media, where the phrase "Just Like ICE" has gone viral, summarizing the outrage at a Mexico that criticizes U.S. raids while mimicking similar practices on its own soil.
The Jesuit Network with Migrants concludes that "the irregularity that the State uses as justification to detain these individuals is an irregularity that the State itself has created and perpetuates," referencing the collapse of the international protection system, which has left tens of thousands of migrants stuck in waits of over 10 months without being able to formally submit their asylum applications.
Frequently Asked Questions About Immigration Raids in Mexico City
What triggered the recent immigration raids in Mexico City?
The recent immigration raids in Mexico City are part of intensified operations by authorities, potentially linked to preparations for the 2026 World Cup and a broader policy of public space management.
Who is involved in these immigration operations in Mexico City?
The operations involve multiple entities, including the National Institute of Migration, the Army, the Navy, the National Guard, and the Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City.
How have the raids affected Cuban migrants in Mexico?
Cuban migrants have been significantly impacted, with many stranded in places like Tapachula and subject to increased deportation and detention efforts both in Mexico and by U.S. authorities.