The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, stated that at least 1,083 Mexicans have been detained in the United States in the last four months as a result of the tightening of immigration raids, and demanded that the US Government change its approach in the treatment of the migrant community.
“From June 6, when the raids intensified, to October 5, 1,083 Mexicans have been detained,” said the president during her morning conference.
The Mexican leader assured that all detained compatriots are being cared for by the Mexican consular network and that some have already been deported.
However, he reiterated his rejection of the actions taken by the United States immigration authorities. “We are against these raids that have been carried out on our compatriots and other nationalities,” he emphasized.
Sheinbaum once again defended the role of Mexican migrants in the US economy and criticized speeches that criminalize them.
“The Mexicans who are in the United States are workers. If there is someone who committed a crime, then it has to be reviewed. They are not criminals. They are workers who have moved the United States economy forward and are necessary for the United States economy,” he said.
Likewise, he called on the Government of US President Donald Trump to look for alternatives to immigration persecution.
“Another scheme must be sought by the United States Government,” he said, while urging his compatriots to request assistance at Mexican diplomatic headquarters.
“To our compatriots – he concluded – they should go to the consulates, they will always, always be attended to.”
President Sheinbaum’s statements come amid an increase in immigration operations in several states of the United States, particularly in border areas and workplaces.
human drama
Under this dark panorama, detention centers, especially in the state of Florida, have been emblematic of Trump’s immigration policy, in whose Administration the number of people in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) has approximately doubled, with more than 58,000 detainees in September, according to the organization Trac.
“It is a true human drama that we saw there, families divided, workers who are dedicated to that, to work, but who are arbitrarily thrown off the road, not just for driving without a valid license, but for being passengers,” commented the Consul of Political Affairs, Iván Pliego.
It should be noted that recently the Mexican Consulate in Orlando reported 176 detained Mexicans and a “human drama” after touring the new immigration detention center in northern Florida, called “Deportation Depot”, in Baker County, Florida, near Jacksonville, which opened almost a month ago to complement Alligator Alcatraz (Alcatraz de los alligators).
A consular protection team and Mexican diplomats toured the site, which Florida opened on Sept. 2 west of Jacksonville with a capacity for up to 2,000 people.
Civil organizations have accused the center of opacity for not disseminating the list of detainees, although it is estimated that there are close to 400 migrants there, according to Thomas Kennedy, political consultant for the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) on his social networks.
