Mexico has seen a surge of American migrants crossing over the U.S.-Mexico border, according to new data from the Mexican government.
This new data marks an increase seen between 2023 and 2024. However, it also comes as the United States continues to deal with what some call a border “crisis”, as many migrants have crossed the southern border.
An Increase in Americans Crossing Over to Mexico
As seen in this new data, even more Americans have chosen to cross the southern border into Mexico for either temporary visits or permanent stays.
Between January and April of 2024, 625 Americans made this migration to Mexico. Meanwhile, 2023 saw only 310 migrations during this same period at the beginning of the year.
More Males Are Making the Journey
This data has also revealed how many American males are crossing the border versus American females.
During this specific time frame this year, 407 males have journeyed from the U.S. to Mexico. By comparison, only 218 females migrated.
Why Americans Are Migrating to Mexico
There are a variety of reasons why Americans have chosen to cross the southern border and migrate to Mexico — for both temporary and permanent reasons.
Many Americans have increasingly chosen to live in Mexico in recent years, as rent and property prices tend to be much lower than what is seen in the U.S.
A Lower Cost of Living in Mexico
Other Americans, particularly retirees and senior citizens, have chosen to move to Mexico permanently because of its lower cost of living.
As many U.S. cities now have an incredibly high cost of living, this has led some to choose to start over across the southern border in regions of Mexico that are cheaper to live in across the board.
Seeking Affordable Healthcare
Some American migrants cross the southern border as they seek out more affordable healthcare. These U.S. citizens may choose to stay in Mexico for both temporary or permanent stays for this one reason.
Healthcare is another part of American life that has increasingly become expensive for so many in the U.S. As a result, many have chosen to head to Mexico for medication, surgeries, or simply to live in a country that is more affordable in healthcare situations.
Migration at the U.S. Border
This new data from the Mexican government comes as many U.S. Congress members remain fixated on the southern border — but are mainly concerned with the migrants coming into the U.S., rather than the Americans leaving the country.
However, this recent data does show that more people are crossing the border to head into Mexico than was seen last year. Though these numbers are much less than the migrants heading into the U.S., analysts will likely pay close attention to see if this increase becomes a new trend.
A Southern Border Crisis
For the last few years, many lawmakers and officials have claimed that the southern border of the U.S. is facing an ongoing crisis.
Many migrants have crossed the southern border, both legally and illegally. However, most lawmakers are concerned about the skyrocketing number of illegal crossings seen.
Biden’s Executive Order
Many Republicans have bashed President Joe Biden over his unwillingness to bring change to the southern border.
As a result of this backlash — and because Congress has failed to pass its own border security measures — Biden recently issued an executive order.
Stopping Asylum Processes
This executive action has resulted in the administration banning migrants from receiving asylum if they cross into the country illegally. To receive asylum, these migrants must enter the U.S. legally.
This action also suspended the asylum processing at ports of entry if numbers exceed 2,500 per day. This processing will only reopen when numbers fall below 1,500. The administration has stated that this order will help border security better manage those entering the U.S.
Has the Border Changed?
While these executive actions were only recently announced, data so far has shown that the president’s orders haven’t necessarily changed anything at the border.
On June 5, border agents arrested almost 4,000 migrants who were illegally crossing the border to enter the U.S. Meanwhile, daily encounters decreased only slightly three days after Biden’s executive actions.
Legal Challenges
These presidential actions will also likely be challenged in a court of law, as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already announced its intention to do so.
Therefore, it appears that the southern border will continue to have these problems, even with Biden’s attempt to change migrant policies.
