Tijuana, March 1. Graciela Zamudio Campos, general director of the Alma Migrante association, asserted that the city government violated the injunction ruling ordering the corporation to refrain from participating in and supporting the National Migration Institute in its efforts to detain people on the move.
In an interview, the director explained that since August 2021, a federal judge granted an injunction in case 1597-2018 to prevent the Tijuana municipal police from carrying out immigration enforcement actions.
He explained that during Tuesday's operation at the Jacuzzis Hotel in La Mesa, municipal officials determined, without any authority, whether individuals had immigration documentation or not, in addition to collaborating with the National Migration Institute on immigration efforts.
The activist emphasized that in addition to participating in immigration functions, they also disseminated images of the foreigners; the thirteen citizens of the Republic of Mauritania were displayed on the official Municipal Police channel with the caption "Arrested."
For his part, the municipal director of Migrant Assistance, Enrique Lucero, said it's common for displaced people from around the world to arrive at this border because for seven years, Tijuana has been the safest route to reach the United States.
He argued that "wars, hunger, authoritarian regimes, and climate change have forced more than 280 million people to move to other countries that will host them in order to achieve better opportunities in life."
In this regard, Mayor Monserrat Caballero Ramírez announced that she will sanction anyone who disseminated images of people in transit, portraying them as detainees without being charged with any crime
