Mexico is preparing to take back its own citizens as the Trump administration plans to deport those who have been living in the United States illegally. The New York Post reports, Mexico’s officials are planning to open 25 shelters with more than 25,000 beds to house the returning citizens.
Each shelter has the capacity to hold 500 people and the doors will open on the day of President Trump’s inauguration in January, according to Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda who made the announcement on Monday, according to Border Report.
Olmeda said she is taking President-elect Trump’s “threat” to deport illegal immigrants seriously.
“What we do know, throughout his campaign, he threatened to do this, and since he was already president of the United States, we believe this time he will be stricter and tougher when it comes to deportations,” she said. “We are working to get ready and receive our migrants.”
Olmeda clarified that only Mexican citizens will be housed in the shelters as no other foreigners will be permitted to stay.
“These shelters that are being planned are for those being repatriated who are coming from north to south, but no foreigners, only Mexicans, this must be made clear — Mexicans will be welcomed back to their country and their human rights will be respected,” Olmeda explained.
Five out of the 25 shelters will be located in the area just south of San Diego, the busiest regions for illegal border crossings between Mexico and California. Two other shelters will be located south of El Centro, California, according to Border Report.
The plan is for Mexican citizens to be held in the shelters for just a few days before being returned to their hometowns, according to The Post. Each building will house men, women, unaccompanied children or families.
President Trump recently praised Mexico’s newly-elected President Claudia Sheinbaum for agreeing to “stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border.”
Sheinbaum responded on X saying, “In our conversation with President Trump, I explained to him the comprehensive strategy that Mexico has followed to address the migration phenomenon, respecting human rights. Thanks to this, migrants and caravans are assisted before they reach the border. We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”
The Trump administration and Texas Governor Greg Abbott are planning to stop illegal immigration before attempted migrants reach the southern border. According to The Post, Abbott is placing billboards in Mexico warning of the potential dangers awaiting them on the journey, emphasizing that rape and kidnappings are among the greatest threats.
