Mexico Prepares for Deportees as U.S. Plans Crackdown.
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico - Workers are building a tent city on the old fairgrounds in this Mexican border city. They are getting ready for thousands of deportees expected to arrive from the U.S. soon.
The Mexican government chose the site, which is beneath an altar Pope Francis used for a mass in 2016. Juarez is one of eight border spots where Mexico is preparing for the influx along the 1,900-mile border.
The shelter will temporarily house deportees, who may include casual laborers, domestic workers, kitchen staff, and farmhands. This is part of what President Donald Trump calls "the largest deportation in American history."
Mexico's "Mexico Embraces You" program will provide the deportees with food, medical care, and help to get Mexican IDs.
"Mexico will do everything needed to care for its citizens," said Mexican Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez when Trump took office.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said the government will first address the humanitarian needs of those returning. They will qualify for social programs, pensions, and the right to work.
Sheinbaum urged Mexicans to "stay calm" about relations with Trump, from deportations to tariff threats. She said the key is keeping communication open.
Trump said at the World Economic Forum, "With Mexico, I think we are going very well." The neighbors may find an immigration solution that works for both.
However, Trump's border emergency declaration could stress Mexico. His "Remain in Mexico" policy would make asylum seekers stay in Mexico while awaiting U.S. court dates.
When the policy was in place before, Mexican border towns struggled to cope. Human rights groups denounced the dangers migrants faced in cities with high crime.
Sheinbaum said Mexico has not agreed to the plan this time. It will not take non-Mexican asylum seekers as they wait. "Remain in Mexico" requires Mexico's cooperation.
About 5 million undocumented Mexicans live in the U.S. A mass return could quickly overwhelm border cities like Juarez and Tijuana.
Jose Maria Garcia Lara runs the Juventud 2000 migrant shelter in Tijuana. It is nearing capacity, and he worries there will be no place for more families.
"We're being hit on two fronts," says Garcia. "The arrival of Mexicans and migrants fleeing violence and mass deportations. Together, these could create a huge problem."
Trump sent about 2,500 troops to the southern border to help with his crackdown. Mexican soldiers in Tijuana are preparing for the results. They readied a center called Flamingos with 1,800 beds for returnees.
As Trump signed orders Monday, a bus brought a few deportees to Tijuana. Journalists tried to talk to the first deportees of the Trump era. But it was a routine deportation, likely planned for weeks.
Still, as the bus went to a government shelter, these were symbolically the first of many.
Mexico will have to work hard to take them in, house them, and find them a place in a country some have not seen since childhood.
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico - Workers are building a tent city on the old fairgrounds in this Mexican border city. They are getting ready for thousands of deportees expected to arrive from the U.S. soon.
The Mexican government chose the site, which is beneath an altar Pope Francis used for a mass in 2016. Juarez is one of eight border spots where Mexico is preparing for the influx along the 1,900-mile border.
The shelter will temporarily house deportees, who may include casual laborers, domestic workers, kitchen staff, and farmhands. This is part of what President Donald Trump calls "the largest deportation in American history."
Mexico's "Mexico Embraces You" program will provide the deportees with food, medical care, and help to get Mexican IDs.
"Mexico will do everything needed to care for its citizens," said Mexican Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez when Trump took office.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said the government will first address the humanitarian needs of those returning. They will qualify for social programs, pensions, and the right to work.
Sheinbaum urged Mexicans to "stay calm" about relations with Trump, from deportations to tariff threats. She said the key is keeping communication open.
Trump said at the World Economic Forum, "With Mexico, I think we are going very well." The neighbors may find an immigration solution that works for both.
However, Trump's border emergency declaration could stress Mexico. His "Remain in Mexico" policy would make asylum seekers stay in Mexico while awaiting U.S. court dates.
When the policy was in place before, Mexican border towns struggled to cope. Human rights groups denounced the dangers migrants faced in cities with high crime.
Sheinbaum said Mexico has not agreed to the plan this time. It will not take non-Mexican asylum seekers as they wait. "Remain in Mexico" requires Mexico's cooperation.
About 5 million undocumented Mexicans live in the U.S. A mass return could quickly overwhelm border cities like Juarez and Tijuana.
Jose Maria Garcia Lara runs the Juventud 2000 migrant shelter in Tijuana. It is nearing capacity, and he worries there will be no place for more families.
"We're being hit on two fronts," says Garcia. "The arrival of Mexicans and migrants fleeing violence and mass deportations. Together, these could create a huge problem."
Trump sent about 2,500 troops to the southern border to help with his crackdown. Mexican soldiers in Tijuana are preparing for the results. They readied a center called Flamingos with 1,800 beds for returnees.
As Trump signed orders Monday, a bus brought a few deportees to Tijuana. Journalists tried to talk to the first deportees of the Trump era. But it was a routine deportation, likely planned for weeks.
Still, as the bus went to a government shelter, these were symbolically the first of many.
Mexico will have to work hard to take them in, house them, and find them a place in a country some have not seen since childhood.
