Mexico

Country Overview & Political Climate

Mexico is a multi-party, federal presidential democracy comprising 32 states. The country has experienced peaceful transitions of power since moving away from the decades-long dominance of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 2000. Presidents serve single, six-year terms. In June 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo of the MORENA party won the presidential election by a wide margin, becoming Mexico’s first female president. MORENA also secured large majorities in the legislature and several governorships.

The 2024 general election was the most violent in Mexico’s modern history, with dozens of candidates assassinated. Municipal politicians face significantly higher risks of political violence than those at state or federal levels. Mexico held its first-ever judicial election in June 2025, following sweeping constitutional reforms passed in September 2024 under outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018–2024). Those reforms included an expansion of the military’s role in policing and a broad overhaul of the justice system that human rights observers have warned could perpetuate abuses and severely undermine the rule of law. Judicial candidates themselves faced threats and physical violence, including assassination, in the lead-up to the election.

President Sheinbaum inherited a human rights crisis rooted in extreme violence by organized crime groups and widespread abuse by state agents with near-total impunity. Her predecessor made little progress addressing these challenges. Congressional approval of constitutional amendments — including a measure that eliminated the independence of judges and established a provision for the independence of the judiciary — has raised serious concerns about the erosion of judicial independence and the capacity of institutions to hold powerful actors accountable.

Major cities, including Mexico City, Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mérida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, and Tijuana, are assessed as HIGH-threat locations for political violence directed at or affecting U.S. government interests. The U.S. Department of State includes a Crime “C” indicator on the Travel Advisory for Mexico and rates the overall advisory at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), with several states at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or Level 4 (Do Not Travel).

Human Rights Conditions

Criminal Violence and Impunity

Mexico faces extremely high rates of violent crime, including homicide, in many parts of the country. Six cities registered homicide rates above 100 per 100,000 residents in 2022. Nationally, the homicide rate fell slightly for the third consecutive year, from 25.9 per 100,000 in 2022 to 24.9 per 100,000 in 2023, though the number of reported disappearances has increased during this same period. In 2024, the national homicide rate was estimated at approximately 11 per 100,000 in Mexico City specifically, though the state of Guanajuato led all Mexican states in total homicides with 3,167, and Guerrero maintained a state homicide rate of approximately 47 per 100,000. Morelos recorded an estimated 73.99 homicides per 100,000 — more than triple the national average.

Impunity for violent crime is extreme. According to reporting from the National Torture Observatory, only around 6 percent of criminal investigations result in a sentence. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has characterized Mexico’s justice system as “extremely ineffective” in its failure to investigate or prosecute crimes. Only approximately 7 percent of crimes are reported, and of those, fewer than half result in any formal investigation.

Enforced Disappearances

Enforced disappearances are a severe and chronic human rights crisis in Mexico. The number of reported disappearances has increased even as homicide rates declined slightly. There are more than 100,000 people registered as disappeared or missing in Mexico, with the majority of cases unresolved. The state has deployed military forces throughout the country in security roles, and disappearances involving military or police personnel are documented but rarely prosecuted. Mass graves continue to be discovered across multiple states.

Torture and Abuse by Security Forces

Torture and cruel treatment by security forces are credible and widespread concerns. Human rights organizations have documented systematic use of torture during detention, particularly in cases involving organized crime suspects. Mexico’s military has taken up a significantly expanded security role, operating at ports of entry and throughout civilian communities, increasing the risk of military abuse of civilian populations. The National Guard — formed from disbanded federal police, army, and navy personnel — relies heavily on military command and has been criticized for conducting operations in ways that blur the line between policing and military action.

Attacks on Journalists and Human Rights Defenders

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists and human rights defenders. Journalists are killed with near-total impunity, and the violence is concentrated in states with significant organized crime presence. Indigenous community leaders, environmental defenders, and land rights activists face targeted violence, including killings, particularly in the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, where attacks are frequently tied to land disputes and opposition to extractive projects. In 2023, Mexico’s government was reported to have used the Israeli Pegasus spyware against some citizens, including activists and journalists.

Migrants and Asylum Seekers

Mexico is both a country of origin and a major transit country for migrants and asylum seekers, many of whom face extreme violence, exploitation, and abuse. Organized criminal groups coerce migrants into using their smuggling services, and migrants are common targets of extortion and kidnapping at border crossing areas. The Mexican government deploys immigration enforcement officers (INAMI) who have the authority to detain undocumented individuals and deport them without formal deportation proceedings. Migrants traveling through Mexico face risks of kidnapping, sexual violence, extortion, and recruitment by criminal organizations. The U.S. State Department has included a trafficking indicator for several Mexican states, including Baja California, Chihuahua, Colima, Jalisco, Mexico state, Morelos, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas.

Women’s Rights and Femicide

Femicide — defined in Mexican law as the killing of a woman because of her gender — is a federal offense punishable by 40 to 60 years in prison and is also a criminal offense at the state level, distinct from homicide. In 2023, 3,429 women and girls were murdered in Mexico, with 851 of those cases classified as femicides by authorities. In 2024, femicides declined slightly to 845. Rape and sexual assault are serious problems in resort areas and throughout the country, with many incidents occurring at night, in hotel rooms, on hotel grounds, or on deserted beaches. The inadequacy of government response to gender-based violence — including low rates of investigation and prosecution — has been extensively documented.

LGBTQ+ Rights

Mexico has made some legal advances on LGBTQ+ rights at the federal level, but conditions vary significantly by state, and LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender people, face violence, discrimination, and inadequate legal protection in many parts of the country. Social stigma and targeted violence against LGBTQ+ persons persist, with limited accountability.

Indigenous Communities

Indigenous communities in Mexico face disproportionate exposure to land dispossession, violence, and exclusion from political and legal processes. Political violence against indigenous groups is not uncommon and is frequently tied to land disputes in the southern states. Indigenous leaders and community defenders are targeted by both criminal organizations and, in documented cases, by state actors.

Judicial Independence and Rule of Law

The September 2024 constitutional reforms — which included eliminating the independent judicial appointment process and replacing it with popular elections for judges — have raised acute concerns about the future of judicial independence. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued a report identifying structural threats to judicial independence as a core concern. Organizations monitoring the justice system have warned that the reforms could create conditions for increased political manipulation of courts and reduced protections for criminal defendants and human rights claimants.

Security & Crime

Mexico presents serious and in many areas severe security risks. The U.S. Department of State advises travelers to exercise increased caution throughout Mexico and designates several states at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or Level 4 (Do Not Travel). Level 4 states include Guerrero, Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Colima, and Zacatecas. The Gracias a Dios equivalent in Mexico — the Department of Gracias a Dios — does not apply, but entire regions such as the Tierra Caliente in Guerrero and Michoacán, the Sierra Madre mountains in Chihuahua, and the border region of Tamaulipas are effectively no-go zones for unprotected travel.

Organized criminal organizations (TCOs) exercise significant territorial control across broad areas of the country. In February 2025, the U.S. Department of State designated six Mexican TCOs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, including the Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cartel del Noreste (CDN), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, Cartel del Golfo (CDG), and Carteles Unidos. The Central American street gang MS-13 and the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua were also designated as FTOs and are believed to have a minor presence in parts of Mexico. These organizations exercise governance functions in territories under their control, including imposing extortion payments (derecho de piso) on businesses, controlling movement, and retaliating violently against those who resist or cooperate with authorities.

Kidnapping is a significant and underreported threat throughout Mexico. Most cases go unreported to authorities, as the popular belief is that police may be involved or unable to resolve the situation. Traditional kidnapping victims are physically abducted and held captive until a ransom is paid. Express kidnappings — typically targeting passengers of rideshare services like Uber or DiDi — involve armed accomplices who enter the vehicle and hold victims for several hours to maximize ATM withdrawals. Virtual kidnapping, in which no actual abduction occurs but victims are deceived into believing a family member has been taken, has increased significantly and frequently originates from Mexican prisons.

Extortion is pervasive nationwide. Approximately 95 percent of extortions are thought to go unreported. Large and small businesses, including maquiladoras, are frequent targets. Phone-based extortion calls often originate outside the state or from within Mexican prisons.

Homicide rates vary dramatically by region. Guanajuato led all states in total homicides in 2024 with 3,167, driven by violent conflict between CJNG and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL). Guerrero maintained an estimated rate of 47 homicides per 100,000 and is a Level 4 state. Morelos recorded approximately 73.99 homicides per 100,000. Mexico City’s rate was approximately 11 per 100,000 in 2024 — a slight increase from 2023.

Law enforcement capabilities vary widely. Police receive low wages, are vulnerable to corruption, and receive less training than U.S. counterparts. The U.S. Embassy has received reports of police corruption and direct police involvement in criminal activity. Response to violent crime prioritizes high-threat cases; response times are generally high, and citizens are often indifferent to police authority due to documented corruption and collusion with criminal groups.

Asylum Eligibility Grounds

Persecution by Organized Criminal Organizations — Individuals who have been targeted by designated TCOs such as the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, Cartel del Noreste, or other criminal groups — through extortion, death threats, kidnapping, violence, or forced recruitment — may have viable asylum claims connected to a protected ground. The FTO designations issued in February 2025 are relevant to establishing the nature and reach of these organizations. The applicant must demonstrate the government’s inability or unwillingness to protect them, which is supported by documented police corruption, collusion between security forces and criminal groups, and systemic impunity.

Particular Social Group — Potentially cognizable PSGs for Mexican asylum applicants include: family members of individuals targeted by criminal organizations; witnesses to cartel crimes; business owners subjected to systematic extortion by designated FTOs; former cartel members who have genuinely disengaged; Mexicans who have cooperated with law enforcement or testified against criminal actors; and LGBTQ+ individuals facing persecution on account of their identity. Careful framing is required to satisfy immutability, particularity, and social distinction under U.S. immigration law.

Gender-Based Persecution — Mexican women who have suffered domestic violence or are at risk of femicide, and who can demonstrate the government’s inability or unwillingness to protect them, may have viable asylum claims. Mexico’s documented failure to investigate and prosecute gender-based violence — reflected in national femicide statistics and the characterization of the justice system as “extremely ineffective” — supports the nexus to government failure to protect.

Political Opinion — Individuals targeted for their actual or imputed political opinions — including journalists, activists, environmental defenders, indigenous land rights advocates, political candidates or their family members, anti-corruption officials, and individuals perceived as opposing cartel control of territory — may have strong claims based on political opinion or imputed political opinion.

Race/Ethnicity and Indigenous Identity — Members of indigenous communities in Mexico who face targeted persecution — including land rights defenders, community leaders opposing extractive projects, and individuals subject to violence tied to land disputes in states such as Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero — may have claims based on race, ethnicity, or membership in a particular social group defined by indigenous identity and advocacy.

Journalists and Human Rights Defenders — Mexico’s status as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists and human rights defenders supports asylum claims by individuals in these categories who have been targeted for their work. Near-total impunity for violence against journalists and documented government surveillance of activists using Pegasus spyware support the nexus between protected activity and government failure to protect.

Migrants and Trafficking Victims — Individuals who were trafficked through Mexico or subjected to forced labor, sexual exploitation, or other forms of human trafficking may be eligible for relief under asylum or other protection-based immigration remedies. The U.S. State Department’s trafficking indicator covers multiple Mexican states, and the coercive role of criminal organizations in controlling migration routes is extensively documented.

Sources: OSAC Mexico Country Security Report (April 2025); Human Rights Watch World Report 2025 – Mexico.