SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Migrants from Central American have virtually stopped coming to Tijuana according to Albert Rivera and others who run migrant shelters in the city, creating many vacancies in their facilities.
Rivera, who operates the Agape Shelter, says demand for shelter space has decreased throughout Tijuana by 10% to 40%.
He expects things to change when Trump takes office in January as mass deportations are to begin.
The Mexican government has said it will only accept Mexican nationals who are being deported from the U.S., but Rivera believes the policy will change.
“I expect a new phenomenon when it comes to deportations,” Rivera said.
Right now, according to Rivera, 90% of the migrants in Tijuana shelters are Mexican from the states Guerrero and Michoacán where cartels and organized crime continue to prey on residents and workers.
“Many arrive at our border with anxiety problems, depression and need psychological help,” said Rivera.
He also worries about current deportees who have ties to criminal organizations in the United States.
“Every Tuesday, ex-convicts are deported from the United States without any kind of supervision on behalf of Mexican authorities, they are simply released out into the streets — they should be deported to their home states where they can get some support,” he said.
Rivera added that everyone along the border wants better security instead of violence.
“The ex-cons congregate in our city where they turn to crime to support themselves and often they prey on migrants, the mass deportations are going to have horrible consequences in our cities for many reasons,” Rivera said.
He also expects many deported migrants to immediately seek a way to return to the United States and will turn to smugglers to get them back north of the border.
Rivera and other migrant advocates expect criminal organizations will increase operations in Mexican border cities like Tijuana to try and exploit deported migrants.
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