The following report is from a year-long investigation by M.A. students at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with FM4 Paso Libre, a civil society organization based in Guadalajara, Jalisco that is dedicated to the defense and promotion of migrant and refugees’ human rights through comprehensive humanitarian assistance, advocacy, and research. The project emerged from a shared binational interest and concern for pressing public policy challenges related to migration, and the direct impact that these challenges have on migrants, refugees, and civil society.

The Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) participated in the project through the pioneering Research Center, which studies migration throughout Mexico and works closely with FM4 Paso Libre. COLEF`s involvement in this project created the possibility to continue fostering greater understanding around migration, provide information for decision makers working on these topics, and sensitize communities regarding migration.

The project and corresponding travel and field research was made possible by the Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law and the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

Table of Contents

Table of Acronyms

Foreword

Executive Summary

Chapter 1: Central American Migration in Mexico

            Violence and Displacement

            Sexual- and Gender-Based Violence

            Economic Instability

            Seasonal Labor

Chapter 2: Mexico’s Protection System for Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Adolescents

            Mexican Constitution

            2011 Migratory Act

            2014 General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents

            Role of States in Federal Protection Laws

            Federal Immigration Agencies

            The National DIF System

            Attorney General for the Protection of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents (National PPNNA)

            COMAR

Chapter 3: State Level Policies for Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Adolescents

            DIF Shelters for Unaccompanied Minors

            State Level Programs for Unaccompanied Minors

Chapter 4: Structural Challenges Within the Federal and State Systems

            Best Interest Assessment

            DIF Shelter Challenges

            DIF Legal Framework

            Processing Through COMAR

            Structural Challenges at the State Level

            Challenges in Reaching Unaccompanied Minor Populations

Chapter 5: Recommendations

Appendixes

Endnotes