The number of attempted border crossings and immigration apprehensions in Mexico fell sharply in 2025, returning to pre-pandemic levels seen in 2020. This is evidenced by both American border statistics and official information from the National Institute of Migration of Mexico (INM). The decline affected almost all nationalities and all key routes.
According to official US statistics reflecting the migration situation on the southern border of the country, in the 2025 fiscal year there were only 237,565 detentions and «contacts» with migrants. That's the lowest rate in more than half a century and a stark contrast to 2023-24, when arrests topped a million a year.
The reduction turned out to be almost universal. From peak levels in previous years, arrests of Mexican nationals have dropped from more than 650,000 to approximately 177,000, Venezuelan nationals — from more than 260,000 to about 64,800, migrants from Guatemala and Honduras also saw double-digit percentage declines.
These figures indicate that migration flows towards the United States through Mexico in 2025 were significantly weaker than in previous years.
By nationality, Mexicans continue to make up the largest group of detainees — about 40% of all cases are on the southern US border. The rest comes from citizens of Central American countries (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador), and also South America (Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador). Separately, smaller groups of migrants from Cuba, China, India and a number of other countries are identified. The Central American flow remains a significant part of migration to the United States through Mexico, however, its size has decreased markedly compared to the waves.
American data is confirmed by statistics within Mexico itself. According to information from the National Institute of Migration (INM), in the period of 2025, migration flows through the country decreased to the level characteristic of 2020.
Since the Trump administration, apprehensions of undocumented migrants in Mexico have dropped by 92.2% compared to 2024. If from February to November 2024 INM recorded 1,051,948 detentions or initiated immigration proceedings, then for the same period in 2025 — a total of 81,168 cases.
Even at the beginning of 2025, the trend was clear. In January, even before the change of administration in the United States, 64,281 illegal migrants were detained in Mexico, however, already in February this number dropped to 24,359, in other words, more than two and a half times in one month.
The number of deportations has also decreased significantly. Between February and November 2025, 9,595 cases of «return» migrants from Mexico to their homeland, which is about half as much as a year earlier.
However, a significant proportion of foreigners detained in 2025 were subject to alternative measures other than deportation or refoulement. About 84% received orders for release from immigration stations after their arrest, allowing them to leave the migration center if they independently left Mexico within 30 days. However, the Mexican migration service does not specify how many people actually complied with this requirement.
About 11% more began the asylum process in Mexico but did not complete it, and only 0.5% of detainees met the formal requirements to apply for asylum. Less than 1% received temporary legalization documents with an obligation to regulate their status as quickly as possible within the framework of current legislation or leave the country.
Experts attribute the decline in migration through Mexico primarily to tightening border and immigration controls in the United States and Mexico, especially since Donald Trump took office in 2025. This is directly reflected in the statistics of detentions on both sides of the border. An additional factor was the change in migration routes: some potential migrants are increasingly choosing other powers in Central and South America, reducing pressure on the traditional transit route through Mexico.