Tent City Emerges in Ciudad Juarez to Prepare for Deported Migrants

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In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, construction workers are setting up a tent city to accommodate an anticipated influx of deportees from the United States. The Mexican government has initiated preparations for this humanitarian effort, aiming to receive thousands of individuals affected by U.S. immigration policies under President Donald Trump, who has described these deportations as "the largest in American history."

The construction is taking place at the old fairgrounds, where a large metal structure is being erected to provide temporary shelter for deportees. This tent city will offer protection from the elements, along with food, medical care, and help with obtaining Mexican identity documents as part of a program named "Mexico Embraces You." Mexican Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez highlighted the government's commitment to caring for returning citizens.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has emphasized that the government will prioritize the humanitarian needs of deportees and has reassured the public to remain calm regarding U.S. immigration policies. While the situation presents challenges due to the expected high volume of returnees—estimated to be around 5 million undocumented Mexicans living in the U.S.—the authorities are working on solutions to manage the potential crisis.

In addition to preparing the tent city, shelters in towns like Tijuana are already feeling the strain of existing demands for assistance from ongoing migration and violence. Local shelters, such as Juventud 2000, are near capacity and anxiously await how many people will require their services in the coming weeks.

As tensions mount, Mexican officials have stated that they will not accept non-Mexican asylum seekers under the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which had previously placed asylum seekers in precarious situations while waiting for legal hearings in the U.S. The Mexican government insists on maintaining its sovereignty and has drawn a clear line against compliance with this aspect of U.S. immigration policy.

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