A group of 20,000 migrants traveling in nearly 4,000 vehicles crossed into Mexico from Texas this week as they returned to spend the year-end holidays with their families.
The massive caravans are assisted by the government-sponsored program “Mexico embraces you” (“México te abraza”), which is managed by the National Migration Institute (INM).
🇲🇽🛻Migrantes mexicanos viajan en caravana de regreso a su país para pasar las fiestas decembrinas con sus seres queridos.
El gobierno de Claudia Sheinbaum ha implementado protocolos para que sus paisanos viajen seguros y sin contratiempos. pic.twitter.com/1jBzUbvXKI
— Noticias EstrellaTV (@NEstrellaTv) December 19, 2025
State authorities from Quéretaro and Hidalgo are also cooperating as the large majority of the returning migrants hail from the Bajío region in west-central Mexico.
Omar Álvarez, the director of INM’s Migrant Protection and Liaison agency, said the operation is designed to provide permanent support for the migrants from the time they cross the border until they reach home.
The INM program involves the cooperation of the National Guard, state police, municipal authorities and representatives in each state en route. There are also designated telephone support lines available to the caravans.
“The most important thing is safety,” Patricia Hernández, director of Migrant Services in Querétaro, told the newspaper N+, adding that the priority is to accompany them “until we’re sure that each and every one of our fellow citizens arrives safely with their families.”
The “Mexico te abraza” plan has been well received by the migrants themselves. Jorge Chávez told La Jornada newspaper that the operation seems “much more organized” than in previous years.
“The presence of the authorities is noticeable and that makes us feel very safe; it’s truly a welcome,” he said.
Gloria Guadalupe Olvera, traveling from Houston to Río Verde, San Luis Potosí, said she has been making the trip back home for a decade.
“Thanks to the program, I feel safe enough to travel alone,” she said. “If this operation didn’t exist, I wouldn’t come.”
The INM’s Álvarez said 3,700 vehicles crossed into Nuevo Laredo by Wednesday and that a total of 80,000 vehicles are expected to participate in the caravan program which began on Nov. 28 and will be active through Jan. 8.
There has been some cause for concern at the border crossing sites, however.
Mexican authorities have urged returning migrants to be informed, given the increase in immigration checks at U.S.-Mexico border crossings.
The mayor of Río Verde, San Luis Potosí, said a caravan of vehicles headed for that state had experienced some difficulties when U.S. immigration officials carried out inspections at the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo border crossing.
“Coordination with Mexican agencies and consulates allowed all vehicles in the San Luis Potosí caravan to cross without incident,” Mayor Arnulfo Urbiola told N+. “I don’t know if compatriots from other municipalities were affected, but all our people got through.”
The federal government has designated three seasons for caravan protection — Holy Week, summer and winter — with the year-end caravan involving the highest number of compatriots.
With reports from La Jornada and N+
