Revealed: How Mexican Border States are Preparing to Receive Mass Deportees as Early as February
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has directed governors of northern states to prepare for mass deportations, which could start as early as February, the Spanish-language media outlet El Pais reported.
“We didn’t speak of a specific strategy of deportations, but rather, that we be ready if they begin in February,” said Governor Samuel García of Nuevo León.
Mexico’s northern states, especially Coahuila, act as illegal entry points into the United States and would, in return, bear the heaviest burden during mass deportations. Trump has discussed sending back illegal immigrants using vehicles across the border within minutes instead of paying expensive airfares for them.
Governor Esteban Villegas, the head of Durango, which borders the northern states of Chihuahua and Coahuila, also noted that northern Mexican states must be ready to repatriate deportees to their places of origin.
Governor Manolo Jimenez-Salinas of Coahuila state also hosted a meeting attended by the Mayor of Piedras Negras, the state’s border city across the Rio Grande River from Eagle Pass, Texas, a notorious crossing site.
The meeting was also attended by the country’s Army National Guard, the Mexican Army, and a U.S. Border Patrol representative.
Among security issues discussed included setting up collection centers for deportees from the United States. Mexican officials also discussed cooperating with US authorities, including addressing cases involving vulnerable deportees and unaccompanied children.
During his recent interview, President Trump assured journalists that Mexico and other South American countries would undoubtedly accept deportees from the United States.
Prior to Trump’s address, the Mexican President had expressed her country’s willingness to receive deportees.
“We hope [mass deportations] don’t happen, but if they do, we will be ready to receive them,” she said.
Shortly after, Trump announced that the Mexican president had also “agreed to stop migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border.”
Previous attempts to remove illegal immigrants from the United States faced serious challenges, with many countries of origin refusing to take back their citizens or individuals who crossed from their side of the border. According to Trump, some countries also required the United States to apply for and pay for their travel documents in addition to air transport, making the process complicated and expensive. However, Trump promised that things would be different this time.
While the United States receives millions of illegal immigrants from various countries, including China and the Congo in Africa, Mexico accounts for 45% of illegal aliens.
Canada has also contributed to nearly a million undocumented individuals, especially Indians, crossing the northern border into the United States.
In 2023 alone, U.S. authorities encountered 30,000 Indians crossing into the United States from Canada. That year, about 97,000 Indians illegally entered the United States, including via Mexico. About 190,000 illegal immigrants crossed into the United States from Canada in 2023.
Nevertheless, Mexico and Canada’s willingness to work with the United States on illegal immigration was never voluntary since both countries have previously failed to address the issue. Their cooperation stems from Trump threatening to impose a 25% tariff on their products if they refused to cooperate in addressing the migrant crisis, forcing them to prioritize their economy over illegal immigrants.
As Mexican northern states prepare to receive mass deportees, the extent of their involvement in repatriating non-Mexicans turned back at the border remains unclear. In March, Mexico said it would not accept non-Mexicans deported into the country.
However, the Mexican President later said she was working on a deal with Trump to avoid deporting non-Mexicans into the country and have them repatriated to their home countries.
“We hope to have an agreement with the Trump administration,” Sheinbaum said, adding that Mexico is “in solidarity with everyone, but [its] main function is to receive Mexicans.”
Regardless, Trump’s plan to remove undocumented individuals through repatriation to countries of origin or points of entry seems to be right on track.
