Mexico has begun outlining a plan of action should President-elect Donald Trump make good on threats of carrying out the “largest deportation program in American history” when he moves into the White House for a second time.
The strategy focuses on helping Mexican nationals on both sides of the border — from developing a mobile app for immigrants to notify Mexican consulates in the U.S. of impending deportations to opening new migrant shelters in Baja California and elsewhere along the northern border to accommodate thousands of expected deportees.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum this past week promised to protect the civil rights of Mexican citizens.
“We will continue to defend Mexicans (in the U.S.),” Sheinbaum said Thursday. “And if there are deportations, we will be ready to receive them.”
Sheinbaum, who was sworn in herself a few months ago, has the challenge of not only dealing with the logistics of mass deportations but of striking a delicate balance politically with Trump, who has pressured Mexico to, among other things, step up its efforts to reduce illegal immigration into the U.S. So far, that cooperation has appeared to have had an effect on the reduced number of migrant crossings.
Sheinbaum has said she expects a good and respectful relationship with the United States despite Trump’s tariff threats, but she insisted this week that deportees be repatriated to their countries of origin and that Mexico would only accept Mexican citizens. Mexico has received people from certain other countries under previous agreements with the U.S.
There are an estimated 11.5 million first-generation Mexicans living in the United States, 4.8 million of whom are undocumented, Mexican officials said.
Trump has vowed a crackdown on illegal immigration that would likely face logistical, financial and legal hurdles. The incoming Trump administration has said that while it will prioritize people with criminal records, its four-year plan includes all those who are in the country undocumented.
Mexico’s 53 consulates in the United States — said to be the largest consular network in a single country — will be the front line of defense.
Mexican consulates across the U.S. have also strengthened their legal assistance program with the hiring of 329 legal advisers and representation in labor, civil, criminal and immigration matters, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Juan Ramón de la Fuente said Friday.
The legal teams will work with Mexico’s consular network to ensure that due process is upheld when nationals are detained, officials said.
Kerber said the consulate will hold know-your-rights sessions with legal advisers and that a 24/7 emergency number has been set up. The Centro de Información y Asistencia a Personas Mexicanas, or CIAM, can be reached at 520-623-7874.
De la Fuente also announced the development of a mobile application called Botón de Alerta, or Alert Button. Mexican immigrants can send a notification through the app to the nearest consulate and to pre-registered family members when detention seems imminent. The app is in the testing phase and “appears to be working very well,” De la Fuente said. It will be available in January.
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