The effects of global migratory movements generate discourse between countries, opposing political parties, international media outlets, and NGOs like the UN. However, the observable impact of these movements is often felt within the cities that are hubs for migration. This thesis examines the intersection between the issues of immigration and housing in Mexico City, and how policy, public opinion, and the organization of civil society arises as a result of external influences. A key finding of this thesis is that the indirect system effects model, as presented by Stephen Chaudoin, is best for understanding the ramifications of the international environment on domestic variables. These domestic variables include the flows and types of migrants coming into Mexico and the pressures on Mexican immigration policy from the U.S. and Central America. The model reveals how variables like flows and types of migrants coming into Mexico and the pressures on national policy impact the outputs of interest: i) immigrants’ needs once they are in the city, ii) civil society and political response to immigrants, and iii) attitudes toward immigrants. This reveals a distinct lack of institutional support for immigrants, most notably in the domain of housing, which is detrimental to the overall development of Mexico City. The indirect system effects model illuminates the pathways to consider with regard to the nuanced intersection of international, domestic, and local variables and relationships, thus providing a useful framework for similar future studies in intricate areas of interest