Resignation and Resistance: How do Undocumented Central American Migrants View Detention in Mexico?

In this article I show the variety of perspectives that migrants in Mexico adopt toward detention, a procedure that criminalizes undocumented migration and justifies violence against migrants. Based on interviews, freedom of information requests, and case studies, I argue that migrants oscillate and sometimes stay in the middle between two contrasting positions about detention: resignation and resistance. While those in the resignation group accept the notion that they have committed a crime and deserve to be detained, those in the resistance group refuse to be regarded as criminals and question the existence of detention. I show how frequently migrant illegality is created and reinforced even among migrant populations. I also illustrate how many migrants make persuasive arguments against the violent border control policies that they experience.