Mexico is creating a new mobile app for its illegal immigrants in the United States that will allow them to contact their family members and the nearest Mexican embassy if they are about to be deported, according to a Mexican official on Friday.
The action is in response to probable mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the United States under the upcoming Trump government.
Mexico's foreign affairs secretary, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, said the software is now in small-scale testing and "appears to be working very well."
De la Fuente described it as a "panic button" in a statement to The Associated Press.
“In case you find yourself in a situation where detention [by U.S. immigration authorities] is imminent, you push the alert button, and that sends a signal to the nearest consulate,” he said.
De la Fuente did not clarify whether the app had a function that cancels an alert if detention does not occur.
In addition to the app, the Mexican government has set up a 24-hour contact center to answer inquiries from its people who are unlawfully in the United States or are unclear of their status. Mexico has also increased its consular staff and legal aid resources to help illegal immigrants navigate the deportation process.
According to Mexican official estimates, around 11.5 million migrants have legal residency in the United States, while 4.8 million are there illegally.
The app is scheduled to be completely launched in January, coinciding with President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. During his campaign, Trump regularly stated that once in power, he would execute mass deportations.
The news coincides with continuing conversations between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on immigration issues. Following a chat with Sheinbaum, Trump declared victory in the fight against illegal immigration through Mexico.
Trump said on his Truth Social account that Sheinbaum "agreed to stop migration through Mexico."
Sheinbaum's own social media post offered a contrasting perspective, saying, "We reiterate that Mexico's position is not to close borders, but to build bridges between governments and peoples."
Sheinbaum went on to imply that Mexico is already dealing with migrant caravans, stating, "I told him the caravans are not reaching the northern (U.S.) border, because Mexico is taking care of them."
The two leaders' chat came just after Trump threatened to put additional tariffs on Canada and Mexico as part of his effort to battle illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Trump criticized the proposed tariffs as "effectively closing our southern border."
Citing statistics from the United States. According to Customs and Border Protection, arrivals at the US-Mexico border have plummeted by 40% from an all-time high in December, owing mostly to enhanced Mexican vigilance around train yards and highway checkpoints.
