Tent City Emerges in Ciudad Juarez to Prepare for Deported Migrants

MXMexico|

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.

Weekly Newsletter

Loading...

More from Mexico

Mexico Faces Major Bilateral Crisis Amid Trump’s Tariff Threats

The United States' relationship with Mexico is undergoing its most significant strain in decades, primarily due to recent threats of tariffs from President Donald Trump. According to reports, Trump has accused Mexico of facilitating illegal Chinese imports, failing to control migration, and contributing to the opioid epidemic in the U.S. as reasons for the impending tariffs. These accusations echo historical tensions between the neighboring countries, which have frequently navigated a web of political and economic confrontations. Historian John Womack noted that the current crisis signifies a breakdown in trust reminiscent of past conflicts, such as the Iraq War tensions in the early 2000s and the Latin American debt crisis in the 1980s. Tariffs have historically ignited commercial battles; for instance, a similar scenario arose in 2009 when Mexico imposed tariffs on U.S. goods in response to border-related disputes. Professor Gustavo del Ángel emphasized that today’s crisis is notably more systemic than past events and represents the potential for a broader commercial conflict.
MXMexico

Mexico's Sheinbaum Faces Challenges in First Months of Presidency

In her first three months as President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum has seen an alarming increase in murders and missing persons, surpassing rates experienced during her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Despite this, Sheinbaum's administration has ramped up security operations, arrests, and drug seizures. According to Armando Vargas from the think tank México Evalúa, the severity of violence she inherited is more acute than what López Obrador faced, indicating a troubling trend of "political-criminal violence" where organized crime exerts substantial control over local governance and the economy. Although Sheinbaum continues with previous administration policies centered on addressing root causes of violence, she has shifted the focus towards intelligence and investigation. The appointment of former Mexico City Security Chief Omar García Harfuch to lead national security efforts has redefined strategies, but whether this will lead to long-term improvements remains uncertain. Critics warn that past tactics may be replicated, resulting in unchanged or worsened conditions, given that Mexico’s judicial system often fails to deliver justice, with impunity rates exceeding 90%.
MXMexico

Sheinbaum's First 100 Days Mark Rise in Violence Amid Security Strategy Shift

In her first three months as president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum faces an escalating security crisis, characterized by increased murder and disappearance rates compared to her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. According to a recent report by the think tank México Evalúa, Sheinbaum's administration saw more violent incidents during this period, though she has initiated more operations, arrests, and seizures of drugs and weapons. Sheinbaum continues the previous administration's focus, which emphasized tackling the root causes of violence but has introduced a more intelligence-driven approach. Her appointment of Omar García Harfuch to head the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection has been seen as a pivotal move in reorienting security tactics. However, experts, including Armando Vargas from México Evalúa, argue that the context of entrenched criminal regimes poses significant challenges. The effectiveness of Sheinbaum’s approach remains uncertain, as it heavily targets homicide rates while neglecting other forms of violence like extortion. The long-term impact of her aggressive actions raises questions about whether they will yield meaningful change or echo the failures of past strategies.
MXMexico