TAPACHULA, Mexico (January 18, 2022) – Waves of mass migration at the U.S. border, like the country experienced in Del Rio in September 2021, have been replaced by diffused surges of people organized by the Mexican government. Mexico appears to have adopted the “ant operation” model to clear out crowds of tens of thousands from their southern border region; this model refers to an informal tactic by which immigrant smugglers move large volumes of people in small distributed parties and individuals in many single-file lines so that most evade the notice of authorities.

From August to December, the Mexican government blocked immigrants in the southern border town of Tapachula until they hit critical mass. Then after Christmas the Mexican government mass distributed an electronic “QR code visa” to thousands almost overnight, then arranged for their exodus by hundreds of buses, but in atomized groupings sent across 14 different Mexican states farther north. Most Americans and even Mexicans failed to notice that a huge but purposefully diffused surge of people to the American border had even happened, let alone why.

Todd Bensman, the Center’s senior national security fellow reporting from Tapachula, Mexico, says, “Mexico is blocking immigrants in Tapachula until they hit critical mass, then letting them all rush forward – many in fleets of busses arranged by the government – after a few months. This slow-roll-them strategy has been done in line with Biden White House pressure on Mexico City in advance of mid-term elections. I expect it to continue through 2022.”