On day one of his new term, Donald Trump launched his much-awaited crusade against migrants through executive orders, fulfilling promises made during his campaign. Among the most significant decrees relating to immigration are the declaration of a national emergency on the southern border, the termination of the CBP One application (which processed more than 900,000 applications and was primarily used by migrants seeking legal entry to the United States), and the proposed end of birthright citizenship.
During his presidential campaign, Trump announced a plan to carry out the mass deportation of 10 million migrants as one of his main objectives once he returned to the White House.
In response to these measures, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has assured that Mexico is prepared to receive deported migrants through the “Mexico embraces you” program, which provides access to welfare programs, healthcare, employment, and financial aid for those in need.
Removal of restrictions on ICE draws criticism from international leaders
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a series of restrictions that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had in place for detaining non-legalized immigrants, such as not detaining people in schools, hospitals, and churches, have been terminated. They now have the green light to make arrests in these places.
DHS reported that “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in US schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead, it will rely on them to use common sense.”
Despite this, several human rights advocates, such as Reverend Beth Brown, have warned that authorities seeking to deport people cannot enter churches or religious communities without a signed warrant.
The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has joined these criticisms: “We do not agree [with this measure]…What do we do? We support them legally and receive them in Mexico with the program ‘Mexico embraces you’ and we can guide them to different places, in case there is a person who is not Mexican at the border, we will also give them humanitarian support.”
Mexico prepares for the forced and massive return of Mexicans
The comprehensive care program,“Mexico embraces you,” allows those who arrive in Mexico as a result of deportations to access Welfare Programs, the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), employment and, in the case of not having money upon their return, receive economic support through the Paisano Welfare Card (support of 2000 pesos to travel to their communities). It was also announced that support will be offered for the purchase of a home through the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU) and the Institute of the National Housing Fund for Workers (INFONAVIT).
“To our fellow countrymen and countrywomen, I would like to say that, first, you are not alone; and, second, that we must also remain calm, that we must also see how the process develops during these weeks,” said the President of Mexico.
In addition, the Presidency announced that funds have been invested in training public servants in the Mexican states most affected by migration, preparing them for the forced return of tens of thousands of migrants. Meanwhile,, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Juan Ramón de la Fuente, announced that the ConsulApp application has been created, through which support will be offered to migrants in need. He also announced the creation of a legal team of 2,610 people to support and defend migrants through the 53 Mexican consulates in the United States.
Finally, he emphasized the importance of strengthening the Information and Assistance Center for Mexican Nationals (CIAM), which provides 24-hour assistance through the numbers “520 623 7874” from the United States and Canada, and “001 520 623 7874” from Mexico. “The number one priority of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs has been and will continue to be the protection and care of our countrymen–especially those in the United States and around the world…Paisanas, paisanos: You are not alone, your Consulates are with you, let’s not lose our calm,” said De la Fuente.
Sheinbaum pushes for dialogue and the re-evaluation of US migration policy
Despite preparing for an eventual mass deportation of Mexicans, Sheinbaum continues to advocate for open dialogue between the governments of Washington and Mexico. In fact, the Mexican President revealed that De la Fuente and Marco Rubio, the new Secretary of State, had a telephone conversation which she described as “very cordial,” despite the fact that several days ago, Rubio declared that, “We must stop mass migration and secure our borders.”
Sheinbaum has emphasized the importance of Mexican labor to the US economy, urging Trump to reconsider some of his promises: “Mexicans are very important for the US economy, and the Trump administration knows that. If there are deportations, which would be a unilateral measure by the [US], in addition to defending them in the United States with the consular network and the support of lawyers and other support schemes, there is already a comprehensive program when they arrive in Mexico”.
Likewise, the Mexican President publicly requested that the measure to eliminate the CBP One application be reconsidered, as it has reduced illegal migration to the United States by 78%: “One of the issues we are going to raise is to allow, whether it is this application or other applications, that we can have a similar process so that, from a Central American country, or their own countries, or in the south of Mexico, there can continue to be this possibility of accessing the application. This helps to avoid border pressure in the north of our country and in the south of the United States, the US-Mexico border.”
On this same line of argument, Secretary De la Fuente added that the Humanitarian Model of Human Mobility, the current migration program be between Mexico and the United States, works quite adequately, even though it could be improved “It can always be perfected, but it is a model that works, it is a model that helps us. And we would like, of course, to reinforce it, but we would like to emphasize that it has some really good virtues. For example, and now I will go into a little more detail, as the President already mentioned, the possibility of being able to schedule appointments with immigration authorities online without the need to first reach the United States territory, to do it from the south of Mexico.”
For now, it remains to be seen whether Trump’s plans will come to fruition and whether Mexico has the logistical capacity and the necessary infrastructure to receive thousands of potentially displaced migrants. Likewise, in the coming weeks, we will witness the capacity for diplomatic dialogue between the two governments and their tolerance in handling a sensitive issue that will likely lead to various points of diplomatic friction between the neighbors.