MMC Readout: Mayors Task Force Calls for Managing Migration with Dignity in the Americas

Dear friends and colleagues,

From July 29-31, 2026, Mexico City Head of Government Clara Brugada convened a discussion on regional migration and launched a joint agenda on migration with the leaders of Bogotá, Cali, Manta, Montevideo, Quito, Santiago, and St. Louis. Here is a summary of the main results from the Mayors of the Americas Task Force on Migration Convening, including key moments for mayors, new announcements and initiatives, and event media coverage.

Maggie Powers, Director of Policy and Advocacy  

Mayors Across the Americas Unite and Expand Task Force 

• The Mayors of the Americas Task Force on Migration gathered in Mexico City for three days of programming to discuss city leadership on migration, learn from each other, and identify opportunities to manage migration with dignity amidst shifting political dynamics across the region. The convening brought together city leaders, civil society actors, and donors. 
• Head of Government Clara Brugada of Mexico City, Mexico welcomed the Task Force and its pragmatic, positive approach to migration: “Today we are moving toward the creation of a more intelligent, coordinated, humane and compassionate immigration policy that upholds dignity.” 
• Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán of Bogotá, Colombia emphasized the Task Force’s role as a leading voice for cities on migration in the region: “We believe that we have to bring more cities to the Task Force, that more organizations need to be involved, that we need to set the international agenda for the countries that shape migration policies.”
• In response to calls to strengthen and expand the group, Mayor Mario Bergara of Montevideo, Uruguay, and Mayor Cara Spencer of St. Louis, United States, joined as new Task Force members during the convening. Their participation brings new city and national perspectives to the Task Force and will help advance city-led solutions that connect migrants with economic opportunity while strengthening local communities.

Mayors Celebrate Benefits of Migrant Inclusion 

• At a public session with more than 200 civil society leaders, academics, and partners, mayors reaffirmed their commitment to protecting migrant rights, advancing evidence-based narratives to counter xenophobia, and highlighting migrants’ contributions to local economies.
• Mexico City Head of Government Brugada highlighted the critical role cities play in advancing migrant inclusion: “National governments make decisions on migration policy, but it is the cities that live the effects of those decisions. As mayors of cities in the Americas, we have to advance welcoming policies so that migrants can exercise their rights and contribute to local economies.” 
• Addressing the growing tendency to frame migration as a security issue, Governor Claudio Orrego of Santiago, Chile said: “We are convinced that integration and intercultural coexistence do not have to be at odds with the human security of our cities. Migration, when regularized, can be a tremendous opportunity.”

• Echoing Governor Orrego, Mayor Bergara of Montevideo, Uruguay, said: “Migration is currently associated with vulnerability, but our goal is for migration to be a source of opportunities. It is essential to have policies in place to make that possible and to ensure that cultural diversity translates into prosperity.” 
• Mayor Cara Spencer of St. Louis, United States, emphasized the importance of partnerships with business leaders to unlock the benefits of migration and counter challenges: “We need to work with the private sector. It is important to change the narrative globally of how important migration is to humanity.”
• Task Force cities also participated in technical sessions and site visits to learn from one another and from Mexico City about successful inclusion models that could be replicated across the region. Members visited Utopía “La Heroica” Venustiano Carranza and received an in-depth look at the Padrón de Huéspedes, Mexico City’s digital registration platform that helps migrants access identification and services.

Mayors Deliver Vision for Managing Migration with Dignity in the Americas

• During the convening, the Mayors of the Americas Task Force launched their Vision & Action Agenda for Managing Migration with Dignity.
• Bringing together leading cities from across the hemisphere, the Task Force’s Vision & Action Agenda provides a shared roadmap for stronger hemispheric cooperation on migration grounded in local leadership, economic opportunity, and shared prosperity.
• The report presents priorities for improving migration policy, calls on partners to join cities in advancing solutions, and showcases innovative and pragmatic programs that make migration work for all. From one-stop service centers to digital credentials and workforce development partnerships, cities are already creating new models for economic inclusion and migration pathways that others should learn from, including:
  
  
  • Mexico City’s “Multi-purpose System for Human Mobility,” a pioneering one-stop shop model that improves the infrastructure for managing migration by streamlining service delivery for migrants and refugees while also strengthening the cohesion and well-being of host communities.
  • “Montevideo sin Fronteras: Safe Human Mobility Project,” a new initiative to expand safe, regular migration pathways by connecting migrants with in-demand jobs, strengthening the local economy, and creating a model that can be replicated across the region.
  • Cali’s “Digital ID and Job Matching Program for Migrants,” a new model that connects migrants, refugees, returnees, and host communities to jobs, training, entrepreneurship, and social services by making it easier for users to verify their credentials digitally and access employment without barriers.
  • Manta’s “Inclusive Manta for Women Entrepreneurs” project, which supports migrant and displaced women in the food and textile sectors to build business associations and increase incomes, providing them with access to business training, startup capital, and local and digital markets.

In the Media

• In an op-ed for El País, Mexico City Head of Government Clara Brugada made the case for cities as places of refuge, arguing that migration is part of the city’s history and that, as national governments turn toward walls and criminalization, cities can lead with solidarity, dignity, and practical support for people on the move (El País). 
• El País highlighted the Task Force mayors’ shared belief that cities can pursue “other ways of imagining, organizing, and implementing immigration policies” (El País). 
• Montevideo celebrated joining the Task Force and the new investment in the city to expand safe, regular migration pathways by connecting migrants with in-demand jobs (Intedencia Montevideo). 
• Mayor Spencer of St. Louis, United States, returned to her city with new ideas, stronger partnerships, and a renewed commitment to city-led solutions on migration after her time in Mexico City (Instagram).