Mexico Open to Accepting Non-Mexican Migrants Deported by US
Mexico has opened the possibility of accepting non-Mexican migrants deported by the United States, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum. Initially, Mexico said it would push for President-elect Donald Trump to return other nationalities directly to their countries of origin.
In a press briefing, Sheinbaum stated that Mexico would collaborate with the US through various mechanisms in cases where the US would not return migrants to their countries. Mexico could potentially limit this to certain nationalities or request compensation from the US to move the deportees from Mexico to their home countries.
Trump has promised to begin massive deportations, which critics argue will be logistically challenging. The deportations would be strongly felt in northern Mexico’s border cities, which struggle with high levels of organized crime and are vulnerable to kidnapping and extortion.
Mexico has a history of accepting non-Mexican migrants, particularly from countries like Cuba and Venezuela, which frequently refuse deportation flights from the US but may accept them from Mexico. Mexico temporarily stopped deportations in December 2023 due to a lack of funds and reduced them significantly in 2024 compared to 2023 and 2022.
Sheinbaum also announced plans to host a meeting of the region’s foreign ministers this month to discuss immigration issues.