National Migration Institute of Mexico

The migrant center office of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, getting sanitized during the coronavirus pandemic.

MEXICO CITY — A judge in Mexico recently ordered the release of COVID-19 vulnerable migrants from detention centers. But human rights groups are urging Mexico to protect all migrants from the pandemic. 

The National Migration Institute says its facilities get sanitized, and migrants get medical treatment.

But activists say migrants are not a priority for the government. Alex Mensing is a spokesperson for the transborder nonprofit Pueblos Sin Fronteras. 

“The Mexican federal government is not taking into account the danger posed by COVID-19 because they’re falling in line with the Trump policy,” Mensing said.

Mensing said migration centers are packed with people who don’t get proper treatment and can’t even get tested for the virus. He says Mexico is dropping migrants near the Guatemala border without protection.

Human rights advocates have no access to the detention centers. 

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