EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Mexico for months has been preparing for U.S. President Donald Trump’s promised mass deportations of undocumented migrants.
Their government has put up massive tents in major cities bordering the United States with cots, meal services and vouchers for discounted bus tickets to Mexican deportees’ communities of origin.
Now that migrant encounters at the border have fallen to record lows under Trump and immigration agencies focus on arresting residents who lack lawful immigration status, Mexico is ramping up services for its citizens at risk of deportation in the interior of the U.S.
“When it comes to protection, consulates have been busy in prior months,” Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente said last week. Consulates in the U.S. are sharing information “so they know exactly what their rights are, what to do and what not to do. They have the right to remain silent, they have the right to a consular visit regardless of immigration status.”
Mexican officials say the U.S. government has removed more than 67,000 citizens of Mexico since January 20 and that an unknown number have left on their own. Mexican officials acknowledge taking in another 6,500 third-country nationals from the Trump administration as well.
In addition to telling its citizens not to volunteer potentially compromising information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Border Patrol or Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Mexico is offering referrals to immigration lawyers and providing a 24/7 toll-free number for them to seek emergency assistance. That number is (520) 623-7874.
“We are happy to receive our countrymen when there is a deportation order. But there has to be a hearing, a process, unless you were detained immediately (after crossing into the U.S.), in which case they can return you quickly. Otherwise, there is a process,” De la Fuente said.
The foreign minister made a public pledge to expand the legal referral process — which is part of most consulates’ standard services — depending on what part of the United States there is a surge in arrests of Mexican immigrants. The most high-profile raids so far have taken place in California and Florida.
In addition, Mexico is simplifying a cumbersome and expensive process at the U.S. border for its citizens to bring all of their belongings home after deciding to leave.
“Sometimes it’s tools, it’s furniture and it was an issue because they had to hire a customs broker, which meant lost time, lost money,” De la Fuente said.
The process for crossing into Mexico with the so-called menaje de casa, or household goods, will become a two-step instead of a seven-step process to spell payment of Mexican import taxes, he said.
High-ranking Mexican officials including President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo are openly criticizing ICE raids against citizens of Mexico who have lived and worked for many years in the U.S.
Sheinbaum said last week the raids are “unfair” and will damage the U.S. economy as labor in agriculture, construction, the restaurant and hospitality industries becomes scarce.
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