▁states ▁of ▁Mexico , ▁even ▁if ▁it ▁diff ers ▁in ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁its ▁aut onomy ▁and ▁legisl ative ▁powers . ▁The ▁ 1 6 ▁bor ough s ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁Federal ▁District ▁is ▁divided ▁are ▁semi - aut onom ous , ▁in ▁that ▁a ▁head ▁of ▁government , ▁called ▁simply ▁" head ▁of ▁the ▁bor ough " ▁( je fe ▁deleg acional , ▁in ▁Spanish ), ▁is ▁elected ▁by ▁the ▁residents ▁through ▁direct ▁suff rage . ▁However , ▁unlike ▁the ▁municipal ities ▁of ▁Mexico , ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁regul atory ▁powers , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁services ▁are ▁still ▁provided ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁District ▁itself . ▁ ▁The ▁bor ough s ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁District ▁are , ▁non eth eless , ▁second - level ▁administrative ▁divisions , ▁and ▁are ▁usually ▁included ▁in ▁cross - m unicip al ▁statistical ▁compar isons ▁with ▁the ▁municipal ities ▁of ▁Mexico , ▁which ▁are ▁the ▁internal ▁divisions ▁of ▁the ▁states . ▁ ▁Bor ough s ▁of ▁other ▁municipal ities ▁The ▁bor ough s ▁of ▁other ▁municipal ities ▁are ▁territorial ▁or ▁administrative ▁divisions ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁they ▁per tain ▁exclus ively ▁to ▁the ▁urban ized ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁municipality , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁second - level ▁administrative ▁division . ▁As ▁such , ▁and ▁unlike ▁the ▁bor ough s ▁of ▁Federal ▁District , ▁bor ough s ▁of ▁municipal ities ▁are ▁third - level ▁administrative ▁divisions . ▁They ▁are ▁non - aut onom ous , ▁but ▁function ▁merely ▁as ▁the ▁internal ▁divisions ▁where by ▁the