EL PASO, Texas – Since January 20, 2025, more than 14,300 Mexican nationals expelled from the United States have passed through 10 welcome centers located in Mexico’s northern border states, according to Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Mexico’s Interior Minister.
These centers are part of the “Mexico Embraces You” program, launched by President Claudia Sheinbaum to assist deportees, especially as fears of mass deportations under President Donald Trump’s second term continue to grow.
What Do These Welcome Centers Offer?
The centers provide a range of free services to returning migrants, including:
- Lodging and meals
- Medical screenings
- A 2,000-peso Bienestar debit card (approx. $102) for basic expenses
- Transport assistance to home states
There is a large tent facility in Ciudad Juarez that alone can accommodate up to 2,500 people.
How Many People Are Using the Services?
Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, a total of 38,065 Mexican nationals have been deported. Out of these, about 14,300 used the welcome centers—roughly one-third of all deportees.
According to Rodriguez, not all deportees want to stay at the centers:
“Some people arrive and just take the hygiene kits and leave. We can’t force them to stay,” she said during a social media broadcast.
So far, the centers have recorded:
- 12,200 overnight stays
- 9,300 debit cards issued
- Only 2,000 deportees accepted free transport back to their home states
Most of those who took transport support returned to Mexico City, Durango, Zacatecas, Jalisco, Oaxaca, Michoacan, and Guerrero.
Why Are the Centers Still Open?
Despite criticism from opposition politicians who argue that the program is too expensive given the relatively low usage, the Mexican government has no plans to close the centers. Officials say they must remain prepared for a possible sudden increase in deportations from the U.S.
Another factor is that the Trump administration is also deporting people by plane directly to southern Mexican states like Chiapas, Tabasco, and Mexico City, which means not all deportees arrive through the northern border.
A Message of Dignity and Support
Minister Rodriguez emphasized that the people returning to Mexico are not criminals, but rather hard-working individuals who migrated for better opportunities:
“These countrymen and women have contributed to the U.S. economy and to that of their homeland. Repatriation is an opportunity to reunite with family and rediscover a new Mexico.”