In recent days, during the morning press briefing, Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez reported that through the “México te Abraza” (Mexico Embraces You) program—created to support Mexicans deported from the United States starting January 20, 2025—assistance had been provided to 189,830 Mexicans as of March 18. We do not doubt the accuracy of the figures provided, but the institutional emphasis on “reintegrating them into the country’s public life” is striking. A repatriation letter, as if they had chosen to return of their own accord. Birth certificates, when this group is not the only one lacking them in the country; the CURP, a sort of identification as Mexicans, a support that is certainly symbolic; 114,000 “Homeland Welfare” cards were distributed, each with 2,000 pesos to help them reintegrate into Mexico and return to their places of origin; 42,400 compatriots joined welfare programs; and we move on to unconfirmed hypotheses: “they are offered counseling, land registration, and access to housing”; 39,000 cards from the Finance for Well-being (Finabien) were distributed, with which they can receive money from their relatives in the United States. The support provided to repatriated countrymen (sic) includes the possibility of enrolling in the IMSS to obtain social security, and in Infonavit to access home loans. Additionally, 14,228 people have managed to secure formal employment in private companies, and more than 42,400 compatriots have enrolled in public programs.
It is essential to have basic information, such as the places of origin of the deportees, since it is unclear whether the figures include those coming from a third country. In the case of members of indigenous communities, there is also no indication of how many of them have returned to their communities. What is the impact on these communities of the absence of remittances? None of these issues are addressed in the report titled “México te Abraza,” as the Mexican government, for decades, has become a mere bystander and has even benefited economically from the remittances sent by our fellow countrymen and women.
Official reports should include information on people of Indigenous descent whose socioeconomic circumstances have led them to migrate, but not only that: there are regions in the country where this path has been the only way to survive in the face of forced displacement driven by criminal groups that, through various means and in different contexts, have established themselves and, through violence and dispossession, have imposed extractive projects, for example, overriding the individual and collective will of the communities. For all these reasons, remittances are vital for the families left behind in the communities, and this does not exempt their members from community obligations even from abroad. All of this will prevent many of the deported individuals from even considering a return to their communities of origin.
In contrast, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recently reported that at least 491,575 indigenous Mexicans and 63,491 Afro-Mexicans reside in the United States, who, as a result of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, are experiencing increased fear or mistrust of the authorities, as well as arrests, deportations, and due process violations in detention centers, among them the absence of interpreters and translators.
The report, titled “First Activity Report of the Institutional Working Group on the Rights of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples and Communities,” compiled using information from 49 of Mexico’s 53 consulates in the United States, warns that these communities face persistent obstacles in accessing services and fully exercising their rights due to language barriers, lack of personal documentation, and unfamiliarity with consular protection mechanisms. The report notes that these shortcomings affect access to justice and basic services, especially in the context of immigration detention.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that the Indigenous and Afro-Mexican population has an “active and significant presence” in that country and requires institutional attention with an intercultural approach.
The report indicates that indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities belonging to at least 29 indigenous peoples were identified, including the Mixtecs, Nahuas, Zapotecs, Tsotsils, and Purépechas. California has the largest population, with more than 211,000 people, followed by New York, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey. There is an urgent need to support consular efforts and to halt the increase in deportations of our fellow countrymen and women, which are arbitrary in and of themselves.
In short, a critical perspective is essential, and—beyond the general figures—we must hold a mirror up to the “Mexico Embraces You” program.
Original text by Magdalena Gómez in La Jornada on March 24th, 2026.
Translation by Schools for Chiapas.