The tightening of the United States’ immigration policy is at the heart of Mexico’s concerns. This has been made clear by the statements of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has already activated her Cabinet to seek alternatives to temper Donald Trump’s heavy-handed speech and his campaign promise to deport up to one million migrants each year in an irregular situation. Although there are still two months left until the Republican’s inauguration, the Mexican government is already working on working documents to demonstrate with hard data the contributions of the Mexican diaspora to the economy of both countries, as well as the benefits of the trade agreement (TMEC), which will be reviewed in 2026. The signals that Sheinbaum has sent, however, indicate that the migration crisis is for now the priority front for the Latin American country and the first major obstacle to be resolved in the bilateral relationship. “We do not agree that migrants should be treated as criminals,” said the president in her last press conference.
Sheinbaum said that the working document on the Mexican community will highlight facts such as the payment of taxes by migrants, the quality of their work and their importance in key areas, such as the agricultural and construction sectors. The president said that she called her Cabinet on Tuesday to outline the route on other crucial issues for the diplomatic relationship, such as trade and security. “We have a plan and we are developing it,” she said to call for calm amid the nervousness caused by Trump’s victory in the elections on November 5.
A day earlier, Sheinbaum stood up for the Mexican community, in what was her most forceful statement in favor of migrants since she assumed the presidency on October 1. “Our countrymen and countrywomen are heroes and heroines, workers who support their families and the Mexican economy, but also, let it be heard loud and clear, they contribute to the economy of the United States,” she said in the commemoration of Revolution Day. “Yesterday I made a special emphasis and we will continue to do so,” she added on this last occasion.
Remittances are one of the pillars of the Mexican economy and account for around 4% of GDP, according to official estimates. Last year, more than 63 billion dollars were received in remittances from abroad. The more than five million undocumented Mexicans in the United States are not the only reason for concern for the Sheinbaum government. Although specialists say that it is unrealistic to carry out a million deportations annually, the next president’s plan is for hundreds of thousands of irregular immigrants to be returned to Mexican territory, regardless of their nationality. There is also the threat of closing the border, which would have a direct impact on trade and the transit of people. “In the event that there are deportations, we will receive the Mexicans, and we have a plan for it,” insisted the president.
The plan is not limited to standing up to Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. Sheinbaum announced that Mexico’s consular network in the United States, the largest of any country, would be strengthened to protect the interests of the Mexican community and give them tools to defend themselves from abuse and raids. However, the approved budget for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was reduced from 9.994 billion pesos to 9.294 billion for next year. However, Mexico’s calculation is that if it shows itself to be an effective ally that delivers results, the threats of the Trumpists will be moderated and thus an extreme scenario will be avoided.
Trump has not shown signs of moderation and is focused on sending signals to his voters that he will fulfill what he promised during the campaign. He named Cuban-American Senator Marco Rubio, a harsh critic of Mexico and Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Sheinbaum’s mentor, as Secretary of State. He also appointed Tom Homan as “border czar” and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary to complete a team of hawks to implement the shift in immigration policy.
Homan, for example, has said that the designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist groups is imminent, adding more pressure and tension to the border control agenda. He also welcomed the donation of more than 500 hectares of land in Texas, announced this week, to build large human warehouses that serve as temporary migrant detention camps and facilitate deportations. In a scenario of complete uncertainty, political volatility and great anticipation on both sides of the border, migration is already emerging as one of the main sources of friction between the two countries. Sheinbaum said she will seek a meeting with Trump’s team, although there is still no date for the meeting to take place.
Source: elpais
