Tijuana's migrant refugee shelters

As a major migratory gateway, Tijuana has been greatly impacted by the U.S. government’s "Remain in Mexico" policy, as well as the increasing restrictions on the number of asylum seekers accepted into the country. This has caused the population of refugees in Tijuana to grow at an unprecedented rate, while leaving the city’s migrant shelters struggling to keep up.

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Little Haiti and Embajadores de Jesus

Polo, a resident of Embajadores de Jesus church and community, also known as Little Haiti, poses for a portrait on February 27, 2019. Polo said he was constantly searching through donation drop offs for professional-looking clothes in his size so that he could apply for a job in town. While some of the Haitian refugees who arrived to Tijuana in 2016 have assimilated into the city, getting jobs and renting apartments, many struggle to get on their feet due to language and other barriers. Many who struggle in the streets of Tijuana stay in Little Haiti, where they find community in a place that affirms their culture.

Cañon del Alacran Embajadores de Jesus Haiti Haitians Little Haiti Tijuana border immigration migration shelter

Mabel Jiménez Photography

Tijuana's migrant refugee shelters