As President Trump’s deportation plans for undocumented immigrants made headlines across the nation, a less publicized response is underway. Mexico’s plan for receiving repatriated citizens, called “Mexico Embraces You” or “Mexico te abraza,” was announced in late January. Government officials began developing the program after then-presidential nominee Trump’s Sep. 13 campaign promise to carry out mass deportations.
The goal of “Mexico Embraces You” is to provide a dignified transition for the migrants, along with reintegration opportunities. Mexican officials have launched an app to inform the nearest U.S.-based Mexican Consulate when migrants are deported, and they are being supported by UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Additionally, the Mexican government has constructed nine care centers across the six Mexican border states to assist with meeting migrants’ basic needs and reintegrating them into Mexican society through employment and welfare programs. 189 buses are available to transport migrants from various reception points to these care centers, and at least 125 public servants are employed at each care center. There are also 100 buses intended to transport deportees back to their home states.
Furthermore, each Mexican migrant is provided with a “Bienestar Paisano Card” designed to support their immediate expenses, which is worth 2,000 pesos (approximately 100 USD). They are able to enroll in various federal government programs and the Mexican Social Security Institute, which cover pensions for disabled people and the elderly, learning opportunities, housing support, medical care and childcare.
In the last month since U.S. deportations began, the care centers have received a total of 14,470 migrants. Of those deportees, 11,379 are Mexicans, while 3,091 are from another country. Mexican President Gloria Sheinbaum has said that her government would accept and voluntarily return non-Mexican deportees to their nations of origin, although the details on this proposal are still unclear.
Experts have raised concerns about the long-term viability of Mexico’s reintegration efforts for its own citizens. The New York Times reported that the care centers may be unprepared to support migrants dealing with traumatic effects of deportations and family separations, while an additional source concurred that some Mexican migrants left their home communities due to violence and a lack of opportunities, making them hesitant to return there. These sources indicated that the migrants who fit this description are more likely to settle in a large city such as the capital, Mexico City, rather than returning to their home state.