In response to the deportation policies of US President Donald Trump, the Mexican government opened a support center in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, a key city on the border with the United States, to assist repatriated Mexican citizens.
“We will be opening the doors to this support and service center within the strategy ‘Mexico embraces you’, which as everyone knows, the president, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum, announced on January 20,” said Mayra Chávez, delegate of the Ministry of Welfare in Chihuahua.
The center, which can accommodate up to 2,500 people, offers dormitories, showers, bathrooms and a community kitchen operated by the Ministry of National Defense, providing hot meals. In addition, the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) will provide free medical services for three months to the repatriated.
Following Trump’s inauguration on January 20 and his promise to increase deportations, Sheinbaum launched the ‘Mexico embraces you’ plan. To date, the Mexican government has received 14,470 deportees, including 3,091 foreigners, as the president recently reported.
Mayra Chávez highlighted the ‘Paisano Wellbeing Card’, which provides two thousand Mexican pesos to each deportee to help with the costs of transportation to their communities of origin.
“This (money) would not be used for transportation (to the support center), because here we could also support them with transportation. It would not be used for a medical issue, because here they would also be provided with that medical service. It would be used for their own transportation expenses (to their cities of origin) only,” Chávez clarified.
The center is dedicated exclusively to repatriated Mexican citizens, while foreigners receive care at the ‘Leonardo Hicari’ Migrant Welfare Center.
This project is part of a federal preventive strategy, with the aim of offering a safe haven and essential services to repatriates. The municipality has highlighted coordination with the federal strategy, and the local human rights office will provide additional guidance.
“Mainly it is because of the issue of Civil Protection, Public Security, Public Services, they will be here working and attending to the needs of the people,” said Héctor Rafael Ortiz, secretary of the City Council of Ciudad Juárez.
The operation of the center will continue as long as necessary, depending on the immigration situation and the guidelines of President Sheinbaum.
Source: contramuro
