The Poder Migrante collective held a press conference on January 17 to address the challenges faced by the migrant community following the arrival of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States.
César Michelle Aldana, general secretary of Jaliscienses Unidos en Acción, highlighted the urgency of taking measures in the face of threats of mass deportations that could seriously impact thousands of Mexicans, including numerous Yucatecans.
“We are preparing for the inauguration of the new administration of the United States government. Donald Trump, since his campaign, promised drastic measures against the Mexican community abroad and this forces us to raise awareness among our community, our authorities and public opinion to avoid a humanitarian crisis,” said Secretary Cesar.
During the press conference, the general secretary of Jaliscienses Unidos en Acción presented proposals to confront possible mass deportations.
Among them, the dual nationality registry stood out, an initiative that seeks to register the children of migrants born in the United States as Mexican citizens, thus guaranteeing their access to basic services such as education.
The need to update documents was also raised, encouraging communities to manage passports and voter credentials at Mexican consulates.
Likewise, Aldana proposed the creation of legal support networks, made up of lawyers specialized in migration, to provide advice to those facing deportation processes.
He also stressed the importance of applying economic reintegration strategies in coordination with the three levels of government, with the aim of facilitating the reintegration of deportees to their communities of origin.
“We estimate that between three and three and a half million people could face deportation proceedings. We need to be prepared to face this panorama. We ask the families of Yucatán to contact their relatives abroad and take preventive measures,” he warned.
Miguel Ángel Martínez Contreras, president of the civil association Poder Migrante, highlighted the dimension of the problem in Yucatán.
According to him, there are around 250,000 Yucatecan migrants in the United States, whose deportation would not only affect their families, but also the state’s economy, which in 2024 received more than 8.5 billion pesos in remittances.
“We do not want Yucatán to be convulsed by the issue of violence. That is why we have called on the State government and we are trying to reach the municipalities to support us by identifying how many migrants there are in each location and providing them with the necessary documents.”
The economic impact would be devastating, with an estimated 25% to 30% reduction in remittances, which would not only affect family income, but also local commerce and small business owners. This could unleash an economic and social crisis in the state.
“Last year, migrants injected more than 7,000 million pesos into the economy of Yucatán, in 2024 the figure exceeds 8,500 million,” Martínez explained.
“If this flow of money decreases, families will feel it, but also local merchants and businessmen, which will generate a crisis. Without employment, we can wake up to a very difficult situation.”
An urgent call to action was made, urging the State government, private initiative and society in general to unite to face the looming migration crisis.
TYT Newsroom
