Mexico’s Supreme Court has ruled that immigration agents can no longer randomly stop foreigners in Mexico and ask to see their visas.
The court’s First Chamber declared that migratory checks outside of places designated for international transit are unconstitutional, describing them as discriminatory and racist.
The decision came after repeated complaints of racial profiling by immigration agents and the Mexican military. In the main, say migrant activist groups, black and indigenous people are most frequently stopped and harassed. In some cases, black Mexican citizens have been deported erroneously, say activists.
The ruling implies that immigration agents pulling over cars on the highway, stopping and boarding buses and planes or raiding hotels, will not be allowed to demand documentation of proof of legal status in Mexico.
Over the past three years, to appease the United States and reduce the flow of Central American migrants heading north, the Mexican government has ordered Immigration authorities to step up checks for undocumented travelers at highways, bus stations and airports. The number of reported abuses has increased exponentially, say activist groups.