A collegiate court ruled that the National Migration Institute’s (INM) policy of requiring bus lines to demand identification or immigration documents for ticket purchases within Mexico is unconstitutional.
The Institute for Women in Migration (IMUMI) announced that the ruling was issued by the 20th Collegiate Court for Administrative Matters in Mexico City regarding amparo appeal 686/2025, filed by the organization and the Human Rights Clinic of the UNAM’s University Program for Human Rights (PUDH-UNAM).
They emphasized that the ruling establishes that transporting a migrant within the country via regular commercial service does not constitute human trafficking. Furthermore, it protects the right to free movement and puts a stop to the “discriminatory policies” that have hindered their safe mobility within the country.
They also emphasized that the ruling indicates that trucking companies do not have the authority, according to the Migration Law, to act as immigration agents when checking the status of foreign nationals in the country.
The litigating organizations stated that the National Migration Institute (INM), through various official communications issued between 2019 and 2021, instructed passenger and tourism transportation companies to verify the immigration status of migrants and deny them service if they could not prove their legal immigration status in the country.
However, the federal judge specializing in administrative matters determined that these measures violate the right to free movement, established in Article 11 of the Constitution, and also constitute an act of discrimination, violating Article 1 of the Constitution.
They pointed out that the INM’s policies are “restrictive, counterproductive, and dangerous,” since they “encourage the black market for migrant trafficking” and endanger their lives, dignity, and physical integrity.
From now on, the ruling requires the institute to create and disseminate an action plan that expressly states that people can purchase bus tickets at any ticket window or bus terminal without having to show identification or verify their immigration status, according to Imumi.
Furthermore, it must implement a program of verification visits to bus terminals to ensure that passengers can purchase tickets without identification and that they are not detained during their journeys and upon arrival at their destinations.
Source: jornada
