The International Organization for Migration (IOM) affirmed that 2025 was an “extraordinary” year for Mexico due to the profound change in migration patterns caused by the tightening of United States immigration policies after the return of Donald Trump to the White House.

According to the United Nations agency, the new restrictions promoted by Washington drastically reduced the flow of irregular migrants into Mexican territory and increased the number of people returned from the United States.

During the presentation of the IOM National Strategy 2026-2029 for Mexico, the organization highlighted that more than 155 thousand people entered the country irregularly in 2025, a figure much lower than the record of 1.2 million registered in 2024.

The organization described this change as a “profound transformation” of the Mexican immigration context, mainly attributed to the tightening of US border controls and deportation policies.

Elí Abraham Cruz, IOM National Program and Political Liaison Officer, explained that irregular migration continues to be a structural phenomenon in Mexico, although flows have decreased and stabilized both in the country and in the rest of the region.

At the same time, he pointed out that there is an increase in requests for immigration regularization and permanent residence by foreigners who choose to remain in Mexico in the face of increasing difficulties in entering the United States.

At the same time, the organization registered more than 160,000 returns of Mexicans from the United States during 2025, both voluntary and forced. The IOM warned that this trend could continue because Mexico continues to be the second country with the most emigrants in the world, with nearly 10.9 million people residing in the United States. In addition, he highlighted that the economic reintegration of those who return has become one of the main challenges for the Mexican authorities.