El Paso, Texas (Border Report) Ten “welcome centers” in northern border states have served 14,300 Mexicans deported from the United States since January 20, according to Mexico’s interior minister on Friday.
According to Rosa Icela Rodriguez, this represents slightly more than one-third of the 38,065 Mexican nationals deported during President Donald Trump’s second term.
“Some people arrive at the border or port of entry and say, ‘I do not want to go to the center.'” “We can not force them,” the interior minister said during a news conference broadcast on social media. “Sometimes they only want the (personal hygiene) kit and leave immediately. […] Not everyone who arrives accepts the free services, and they are free to do so.”
The centers, including a tent facility in Juarez that can accommodate 2,500 people, are part of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s “Mexico Embraces You” program, which was established during a period of widespread speculation about Trump’s mass deportation plans.
The welcome centers provide free lodging, meals, medical screenings, and a 2,000 peso ($102) Bienestar, or welfare program debit card.
At least 1,000 deportees have passed through Juarez’s center, but not all of them spent the night. The same is true for other Mexican border cities. The ten centers reported a total of 12,200 overnight stays and 9,300 debit cards issued.
Only 2,000 people accepted offers of free rides back to their home states. Those who did primarily chose Mexico City, Durango, Zacatecas, Jalisco, Oaxaca, Michoacán, and Guerrero as travel destinations.
Though opposition politicians in Mexico have criticized the cost of keeping the centers open despite low demand, the government has no plans to close them. One of the reasons is that no one south of the border is willing to take the risk of a sudden increase in deportations under Trump.
Federal officials also confirmed that the Trump administration is flying some Mexicans back to the southern states of Chiapas and Tabasco, as well as Mexico City. That also explains the low turnout at border crossings.
“These (countrymen and women) have contributed to the U.S. economy and to that of their homeland,” Rodriguez informed the audience. “Those who return are hardworking and caring individuals who saw the need to migrate. Repatriation allows them to reconnect with their families while also discovering a new Mexico.