A Mexican immigration law firm has issued an urgent alert for all foreigners residing in Mexico, including the thousands of Cubans living in that country: the National Institute of Migration (INM) is canceling residency cards at airports for those returning without the documents that support the connection that granted them their immigration status.
Navarrete Abogados published a video on TikTok warning that each month, thousands of temporary and permanent residencies are canceled due to not considering these small details when returning to Mexico.
The alert is particularly relevant for the Cuban community, which in recent months has turned to Mexico as an alternative destination after the cancellation of the CBP One program and the humanitarian parole by the Trump administration—measures that left over 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela without legal pathways to the United States.
The report outlines three scenarios based on the type of residence.
For those who obtained it through family ties, the lawyer clarifies: "You need to bring all the evidence of your marriage to a Mexican or to a temporary resident in Mexico. This can include photos, marriage certificate, birth certificate, and perhaps a lease agreement you have with your partner."
In the case of those with permanent residency due to Mexican child, the situation is more stringent. "You must necessarily bring all the evidence you have of your child's pregnancy, your child's birth certificate, and their passport," the lawyer states, warning that without this documentation, the card may be revoked on the spot.
The third scenario pertains to those who obtained their residency through a job offer.
In that case, the office recommends carrying the company phone, corporate emails, and payroll payment receipts when passing through the immigration checkpoint.
The consequences of failing to meet these requirements can be irreversible.
"If you do not bring all that information with you, it is very likely that your permanent residency will be revoked and canceled. They could even put you on a migration alert and you may never be able to regularize your status in Mexico again," warns the lawyer.
The migration alert is the most feared tool in this process: the INM issues it without prior notice to the affected individual, it can last from two years to being permanent, blocks all future immigration procedures, and prohibits entry to or exit from the country.
The only way to challenge it is through an amparo lawsuit before the Judiciary, as there is no internal recourse within the INM.
This warning is not new.
In early April, another lawyer had already raised concerns in Mexico about the same situation: the INM detects residency obtained irregularly, cancels the card on the spot, and deports the migrant.
The context for Cubans is particularly critical.
The United States has sent approximately 6,000 Cubans to Mexico, many of them without documents or legal status, mainly to Tapachula, Chiapas.
For those who find themselves in this situation, losing Mexican residency with an active immigration alert means being in a legal limbo with no clear way out, unable to easily return to Cuba or access the United States.
"A lapse in the immigration filter can mean that you may never be able to regularize your status in Mexico," concludes Navarrete Abogados, urging those planning to travel or return to the country to seek advice from an expert before doing so.
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