Haitians at the Mexican-American Border

Abstract

Since 2021, the city of Reynosa on the Mexican-American border has seen a dramatic change in the asylum-seeking population, primarily being composed of families from Central America to now being overwhelmingly Haitian. The authors have assisted with aid work and conducted research in Reynosa with the Haitian population as well as volunteers and educators who have worked with them. This article, based on our ethnographic research, examines the reasons for the increase in Haitian immigration, the experiences of these migrants both coming to and living at the Mexican-American border, and the treatment of the Haitians by the Mexican government and society. The research indicates some similar dynamics that Haitians face in comparison to other asylum seekers but also some unique challenges given the role of race at the border. The findings indicate that the often harsher experience of Haitian migrants is also intertwined with more restrictive border and migration policies based on national origin and wealth.