On March 27, 2023, a tragic fire at a migrant station in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, claimed the lives of 40 migrant people and left 27 others injured who were in the custody of the Mexican state, with no possibility of escape. A year after the tragedy, no one has been held accountable for these events.
Francisco Garduño, who presided over the National Institute of Migration (INM) since 2019, left his position on April 29, 2025, after institutional tensions, massive operations, and the tragedy of the fire in Ciudad Juárez. Despite being under investigation, his resignation has had no significant repercussions.
Human rights organizations argue that the migration system in Mexico operates with total impunity, evidenced by more than 5,000 complaints against the INM between 2019 and 2023, as well as 14 fires in migration stations. Garduño's departure is criticized for not representing a true act of justice, leaving the families of the victims without compensation or preventive guarantees.
The position of the federal government, led by López Obrador, has been criticized for minimizing the events, maintaining support for Garduño, and not offering genuine apologies to those affected. Despite the tragedy, no firm sentences have been issued to date, aggravating the sense of impunity surrounding the case.
The appointment of a new INM director, Sergio Salomón, by the mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, is considered insufficient to address the underlying issues in the Mexican migration system. Competent authorities, such as the Attorney General's Office and the Executive Commission for Victims Attention, have been pointed out for their inaction and lack of commitment.
The incident in Ciudad Juárez highlights the deficiencies of a vulnerable and ruthless institutional system that needs to be reformed to avoid future tragedies. The lack of justice and concrete measures to prevent similar situations in the future underscores the urgent need for a deep review and a real commitment to the human rights of those affected by these circumstances.
