About 1,200 migrants began a march from Tapachula in southern Mexico on Wednesday, aiming to reach Mexico City to demand faster asylum processing and better job prospects, after a long wait near the Guatemala border.
Mostly Cuban migrants took part, alongside people from Honduras, Ecuador, Brazil, and Haiti. Unlike past caravans targeting the U.S., this group seeks legal status in Mexico due to prolonged processing delays and limited work opportunities in the south.
Tapachula, in Chiapas, is a common arrival point but migrants there face long waits and harsh conditions. U.S. policy changes ending programmes like CBP One have left many stranded.
Cuban migrant Losiel Sánchez said, “Everything is expensive and I can’t pay rent. There’s no work; they don’t want to give you work if you don’t have papers.” Despite multiple visits to Mexico’s asylum office, he and his wife remain stuck without legal resolution.
Another Cuban, Anery Sosa, lost her documents and struggles to find childcare so she can work as her husband’s income alone doesn’t cover essentials.
Organised through social media without a clear leader, the march reflects frustration with slow asylum processes and harsh conditions. Mexican authorities have sometimes allowed similar marches briefly before providing aid with papers or transport.