EXCLUSIVE: Mexico Stuffs Migrants in Closets, Brags About Holding Facilities

Mexican immigration officials praise themselves for the quality of their holding facilities after getting a visit from Mexico’s Human Rights Commission. However, what immigration officials did not show the visitors is that in some of their locations, they are stuffing migrants in literal closets they turned into holding cells.

Earlier this month, a representative of Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) visited the National Migration Institute (INM) station in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon. According to a social media post by INM, the CNDH representative checked the holding stations where detained migrants are kept.

In contrast to claims by INM at the Guadalupe facility, Breitbart Texas obtained a series of exclusive photographs from inside their detention cells just a few miles away at a similar location inside the Monterrey airport. The photographs revealed how migrants are kept inside cramped closets that have been turned into sleeping areas and cells.

In a separate post, INM claimed that they safeguard the belongings of migrants that are held at their facilities. However, as Breitbart Texas reported, the institute has a long history of corruption and cases where cash and migrants’ belongings have been stolen.

In August 2022, Breitbart Texas reported on the case of a Peruvian national who had approximately $3,000 taken from him by Mexican authorities at the Mexico City International Airport. The migrant was in detention at the time after having been denied entry into the country and was awaiting a flight home. The migrant complained about the theft at the time; however, INM officials covered up the case until Breitbart Texas exposed it and published exclusive photographs of the incident.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..