EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – The government of Mexico is strengthening bonds with its citizens in the United States, pledging to assist them at a time immigrant communities could be coming under increased scrutiny here.
During her Wednesday video news conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo addressed dozens of immigrant leaders from across the southwestern United States who gathered inside the El Paso Philanthropy Theatre.
“We send you a warm greeting, our recognition. Our immigrant brothers and sisters in the Untied States are heroes who have succeeded with courage, and we will not only recognize you always but also support you. And know that your home is here, always,” Sheinbaum told the crowd in El Paso.
The call coincided with the UN’s International Migrants Day.
“Thank you for all you do for your families, and thank you for all you do for Mexico,” Sheinbaum said, adding that “Mexico begins with an ‘M,’ like migrant.”
Inside the Plaza, Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente outlined what will be Mexico’s policy toward migrants in the U.S. for the next six years of Sheinbaum’s mandate.
It includes legal assistance and alliances with immigrant groups, the cities and counties where they live, as well as with education and health institutions that serve them.
There will be “legal defense for all our countrymen and women. They are not alone, and they will not be alone when it comes to defending their rights, if it becomes necessary,” De la Fuente said.
The reference to legal assistance as a top priority comes as Sheinbaum and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump begin conversations regarding the latter’s plan to carry out mass deportations. Trump recently claimed Sheinbaum agreed to “close the border” to illegal migration to the United States; Sheinbaum promptly denied she had done that.
De la Fuente also pledged to simplify paperwork for Mexicans living abroad so they can visit their relatives in the homeland. Every December, thousands of Mexicans cross the border southbound with gifts and appliances for their extended family. Often, they complain about red tape at Mexican customs and security concerns on Mexican roads.
The bonds with Mexicans abroad are paramount to Mexico’s economy, as every year they send more than $60 billion a year in remittances to their families south of the border.
De la Fuente also pledged to have Mexican consulates keep an “open door” policy and listen to their concerns and suggestions.
Sheinbaum had Mexican American singers debut a “Migrant Anthem” that alternates between Spanish and English. The song speaks of the sacrifices immigrants make abroad to provide for their families.
De la Fuente said he would hold similar meetings with Mexican leaders in Chicago and the West Coast in coming days.
