U.S. Deportations of Mexican Minors Surge 23% in 2024

The Mexican government reported a significant increase in deportations of Mexican minors from the United States in 2024. Data from the Monthly Migration Statistics Bulletin, published by the Ministry of the Interior, revealed a 23% rise in these events.

From January to November 2024, US authorities deported 28,270 Mexican minors. This figure marks a substantial increase from the 23,028 cases recorded during the same period in 2023. The majority of these deportations involved adolescents aged 12 to 17 years.

Among the deported minors, 16,303 were teenagers. Of these, 13,130 were male and 3,173 were female. Notably, 70% of these adolescents, or 11,302 individuals, were unaccompanied at the time of deportation.

The data also showed 11,967 deportation events involving children aged 11 or younger. Most of these younger children, 11,813, were accompanied when expelled from the US. Only 154 were unaccompanied.

Chiapas emerged as the Mexican state with the highest number of deported minors, totaling 3,053 cases. Guerrero followed with 2,472 events, while Guanajuato recorded 2,238 deportations. Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, and Michoacán also saw significant numbers.

In contrast, Yucatán, Baja California Sur, and Nuevo León reported the lowest number of deportation events. These states recorded 31, 53, and 116 cases respectively. June 2024 saw the highest number of deportations, with 4,341 minors returned to Mexico.

Sonora received the most deported minors, with 10,991 events. The majority, 9,147, entered through the Nogales Uno reception point. Chihuahua and Tamaulipas also processed large numbers of deportees.

These figures highlight the ongoing challenges in US-Mexico migration relations. They also underscore the complex issues surrounding the deportation of minors, especially unaccompanied teenagers.