Number of migrants detained in Mexico surged 78% in January

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The number of migrants detained in Mexico surged 78% in January. Mexico’s National Immigration Institute said Monday that 16,740 migrants, mainly from Central America, were detained between Jan. 1 and Jan. 30. That compares with the 9,406 people detained without proper documents in the same period of 2021. It was unclear if the number of migrants was less last year because of last winter’s brutal coronavirus surge. Migrants smugglers in Mexico have recently been trying some innovative methods, including ferrying migrants for hundreds of miles on the backs of motorcycles or smuggling them in freight trucks with fake logos.