Mexican consulates to strengthen support for nationals in face of US deportation

With reference to the President's statement that came on Friday, the measure came in response to repeated threats of mass deportations by US President-elect Donald Trump, who has criticised Mexico for not doing enough to prevent illegal immigration, Xinhua news agency reported.

"There are rules for deporting (nationals) back to Mexico. It's not like the police stop them and then send them to the border the same day. There are standards and rules that must be followed, and they can not be deported without reasons," Sheinbaum said during a daily press conference.

"We are strengthening the capability of our consulates in the United States and improving the level of legal support," she said.

The government, she said, will provide contact information for the consulates, so that Mexican nationals can access assistance in case of deportation.

"We are in Mexico to welcome Mexicans and preparing everything they need" if they are deported, Sheinbaum said.

Earlier in November, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had voiced readiness for the potential US mass deportations of migrants, which US President-elect Donald Trump has indicated will happen once he is in office.

"In the event that there are deportations, we will receive the Mexicans, and we have a plan for that," Sheinbaum had told reporters, quoted by Xinhua news agency.

Expressing her disapproval of "migrants being treated like criminals," she said, "that is why institutions of justice exist everywhere around the world" to protect basic rights.

The government is strengthening the network of Mexican consulates in the United States to better protect migrants at the risk of deportation, she said.

Trump, who is to be sworn in on January 20, 2025, has threatened to stiffen measures to stop the flow of undocumented migrants across the US-Mexico border.