Mexico City, Mexico – As Donald Trump – who promised along his campaign trail to use the military to enact mass deportations of irregular migrants – prepares to take office in January, Mexican officials are searching for ways to prevent wave of deported migrants from entering their country.
During her morning press conference on December 5, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration is working towards a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to prevent a mass influx of deported immigrants into Mexican territory, as has been Trump’s deportation strategy in his first term.
Mexican strategy regarding Trump’s anti-immigration crusade will prioritize Mexican nationals living in the U.S., who make up for 23% of all 47.8 million immigrants currently residing in the United States, of which 45% or 5.1 million are undocumented immigrants.
“Obviously, we are supportive of everyone, but our main function is to welcome Mexicans. And we hope to reach an agreement with the Trump administration, in case there are these deportations so that they also send people from other countries back to their countries of origin,” said Sheinbaum.
According to the president, the scheme will entail a consular strategy in the U.S. As part of the initiative, she instructed Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente to visit the General Consulate in Dallas, Texas, to meet with the 11 Consulates living in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico on Thursday to reinstate the support and backing of the Government of Mexico to Mexicans in the United States.
“You are not alone; our network of consular services is strengthening, and we are prepared to support and protect you in the face of any eventuality. This is a program that Dr. Sheinbaum had already proposed during her campaign to strengthen and streamline consular services, not only in terms of protection but also in terms of general assistance,” said de la Fuente during the meeting on Thursday.
According to De la Fuente, during his agenda, the Mexican diplomat visited the ICE facilities to learn “firsthand” about the processes followed at the center to ensure that the human rights of nationals are respected at all times.
The initiative aims to lay the groundwork ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.
As part of the diplomatic relations between the newly elected Mexican president, who took office on October 1, and Trump’s second non-consecutive term, the shared border, migration, and drug trafficking have been central issues in Trump’s threats.
Although Trump has promised mass deportation to address what he considers an “invasion” of irregular immigrants, even announcing the deployment of military troops to ensure the immediate ousting of millions of migrants, he will certainly require Mexico’s cooperation to accept the deportees.
However, Sheinbaum appears to be seeking to break with the stance of her predecessor, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who offered Mexico as a partner for Trump’s anti-immigrant policies, such as Title 42 or the Migrant Protection Protocols, better known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy which deported millions into Mexican territory.
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