“These people spend decades working in the fields, gardening, construction, and when they get older there is no work because they no longer have the strength,” explains Marroquín.
The Mexican government has stood out for its support for the most vulnerable communities in the country, including the elderly.
The Mexican migrant community in the United States has been identified as heroes by that country and now various organizations seek to move from words to actions.
In Mexico, adults over 65 receive around $300 dollars in pension every two months. But if they reside in the United States they are not eligible. That has to change.
It is estimated that around two million elderly Mexican migrants live in the United States. Of these, some 500,000 are undocumented.
Last week, a group representing about 70 civil organizations visited Mexico’s National Palace with a specific request for Claudia Sheinbaum’s government: to allow Mexican migrants to access the Pension Bienestar — the country’s pension program — even if they don’t live in Mexico.
The group is part of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). Two prominent members, María Marroquín and Ángela Sanbrano, spoke at the morning press conference. Both women have spent most of their lives working in the United States and know firsthand what it is like to work in precarious hourly jobs. For years, they have sent remittances back home, supporting both the U.S. and Mexican economies with their work.
“These people spend decades working in the fields, gardening, construction, and when they get older there is no work because they no longer have the strength. Also because they are tired from working all their lives,” explains Marroquín, 66, originally from Puebla and now living in California. She coordinates the Day Worker Center, a nonprofit organization in Mountain View.
The group is advocating for Mexican migrants over 65 to receive $300 every two months (approximately 6,000 pesos) from the Mexican government. Without the ability to work or access a pension, these older adults often find themselves marginalized by a system that has abandoned them to their fate. “When we grow old, neither Mexico nor the United States wants us,” says Marroquín, who points out that many of the ailments faced by this population stem from the grueling labor they have performed for decades. “Both countries are failing this population that has been caught in the middle,” she added.
Despite their years of contribution, these individuals are left without support. Employers won’t hire them, and neither government provides a path to retirement or pensions. “The U.S. government doesn’t grant pensions to these people because they didn’t pay into the system,” says Marroquín, “but they did contribute by paying taxes. “They have identification numbers tied to the payments they made throughout their lives.”
“It is unfair because the United States would not be the country it is today if it were not for Latinos. We are a very important part of the country’s economy,” adds Ángela Sanbrano.
The network of migrant organizations was hopeful about the creation of the Pensión Bienestar during the administration of former Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This program allows all adults over 65, regardless of whether they have paid contributions, to receive a payment of 6,000 pesos (approximately $300) every two months. However, the current requirements mandate residency in Mexico, effectively excluding migrants living abroad from accessing the benefit.
A recent constitutional reform, however, enshrined social programs, including the pension for older adults, as inalienable rights in the Magna Carta. “I didn’t cross the border; the border crossed me,” says Ángela Sanbrano, 79, originally from Ciudad Juárez and a Los Angeles resident for over 60 years. “A Mexican takes their rights wherever they go, right? The pension is a right we have as Mexicans, so we ask our government not to forget us.”
Before leaving office, former López Obrador announced that Mexican workers in the United States would qualify for the national social security program. However, the measure has yet to be implemented. Three months into the new administration, President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government inherits this mandate. Sheinbaum has said Mexican workers abroad are “heroes and heroines” and that she values the hard work they do. However, she explained that her government must assess the national budget before delivering a definitive response to the request.
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