SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda announced the Mexican government will open 25 new shelters to house deported migrants.
During a meeting with reporters on Monday in Tijuana, Ávila Olmeda said they are taking President-elect Donald Trump’s threats of mass deportations seriously, adding that five of the shelters are supposed to be set up in the city of Tijuana with two others in Mexicali, Baja’s capital city.
“This is a strategic plan to accommodate exclusively people who get deported after January 20,” she said.
Ávila Olmeda believes Trump will in fact follow through and deport thousands of migrants from the U.S.
“What we do know, throughout his campaign, he threatened to do this, and since he was already president of the United States, we believe this time he will be stricter and tougher when it comes to deportations,” she said. “We are working to get ready and receive our migrants.”
The facilities will only house Mexican migrants for a few days before they are sent to their hometowns in the interior of Mexico, Ávila Olmeda said.
“These shelters that are being planned are for those being repatriated who are coming from north to south, but no foreigners, only Mexicans, this must be made clear — Mexicans will be welcomed back to their country and their human rights will be respected.”
The governor stated every facility will be able to take in up to 500 people at at time.
Some will board single men, while others will house only women, unaccompanied minors and entire family units.
The shelters are set to open Jan. 20 when Trump takes office.
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