- During President Sheinbaum’s morning press conference today, Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente outlined the legal protection program already operating at Mexico’s 53 consulates in the U.S.
- The Legal Assistance Program now includes 329 legal representatives with various specialties
- Starting in January, Mexico will launch an emergency mobile app that allows Mexicans to instantly alert their nearest consulate when facing immigration enforcement actions
The Mexican government, through its consular network in the United States, will defend the human rights of its citizens in accordance with international law. Its legal protection program now includes 329 legal advisors, along with voluntary support from consultants and law firms across the country, announced Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente during his presentation of the legal defense and assistance programs already available at all 53 consulates in the U.S. These include monitoring due process and ensuring consular notification. He emphasized that Mexican citizens in the United States are not and will not be alone.
During President Sheinbaum’s morning press conference today, the Foreign Secretary explained that, to date, the Legal Assistance Program now includes 329 legal advisors and representatives with various specialties. He also noted that each consulate has developed a local action plan with specific recommendations for Mexican citizens.
He announced that Mexico will launch an emergency notification application in January for Mexican citizens to alert the nearest consulate of imminent immigration enforcement actions, in addition to previously selected family members and the Foreign Ministry. The application was developed with support from the Digital Transformation Agency.
"The President has also instructed us to focus on direct community engagement, which we have already begun. I have personally attended several open meetings where the key message is to tell our fellow citizens that they are not alone and will not be alone," he stated, reiterating that the consular network is prepared to meet the current challenges.
He emphasized that the "Know Your Rights" program is also part of this defense strategy, and is aimed at prevention and rapid response to possible enforcement scenarios or other intimidating actions.
The Foreign Secretary emphasized that deportation from the United States requires a court order, a final deportation order, or removal order, and the consular team will be vigilant in ensuring due process is followed.
He said that special attention will be given to all Mexican citizens who wish to return to Mexico, as well as to those who might face deportation and their families.
"We are also making extensive efforts to encourage all those with children born in the United States to register them with the consulates. Not everyone has done this yet. We strongly encourage everyone to register with our consulates as this enables us to provide legal protection when needed,” he emphasized.
He discussed the ongoing work to strengthen strategic alliances with local authorities, mayors, council members, and state and federal legislators to ensure a real impact in Mexican communities, combat false information, and highlight the contributions of Mexican citizens in the United States.
He noted that there are 38.4 million Mexicans in the United States, of whom 11.5 million are first generation. Of these, 4.8 million are undocumented migrants, and 26.9 million are second or subsequent generations.
This population represents a powerful workforce that contributes to both economies. In 2023 alone, they sent more than 60 billion dollars in remittances to their families in Mexico while also making substantial tax contributions to the U.S. economy.
Last year, the United States' Gross Domestic Product was 27.7 trillion dollars, of which approximately 8% is attributable to the Mexican population there. According to U.S. figures from two years ago, undocumented Mexicans contributed approximately 42.6 billion dollars in taxes, while Mexican migrants as a whole contributed close to 121.5 billion dollars.
