Mexican soldiers have begun setting up emergency shelters near the U.S.-Mexico border in response to President Donald Trump’s renewed crackdown on undocumented migrants.
The Mexican government announced plans to open nine shelters for returning citizens and three additional shelters for deported foreigners under a new initiative called “Mexico Embraces You.” The move follows Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on his first day back in office, during which he vowed to deport “millions and millions” of migrants.
In Matamoros, a northeastern city bordering Brownsville, Texas, military personnel have erected olive-green tents on a large sports field. Authorities estimate that one of the shelters being built in Tamaulipas state will accommodate around 3,000 people.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged humanitarian assistance to deported migrants from other countries before arranging their repatriation.
Trump’s administration has also reinstated the controversial “Remain in Mexico” policy, requiring asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their U.S. applications are processed. Additionally, the White House has suspended an asylum program for individuals fleeing authoritarian regimes in Central and South America, leaving thousands stranded at the border.
To enforce the deportation policy, Trump has ordered the deployment of 1,500 additional military personnel to the U.S.-Mexico border. Meanwhile, the Mexican government has introduced a mobile app featuring an alert button to assist migrants at risk of detention in the U.S., where millions of undocumented Mexicans currently reside.
