Trump gets serious

USA prepares for record deportations

Donald Trump has repeatedly described the arrival of migrants in the USA as an "invasion".

(Bild: AP, APA/AFP/Johan ORDONEZ, krone.at-Grafik)

US President-elect Donald Trump wants to carry out nationwide checks on immigrants immediately after his inauguration. Mexico is already preparing for massive deportations.

Trump had already announced his intention to deport immigrants in record numbers - the first measures were to be taken on Monday in New York and Miami, warns a person familiar with the matter. The insider was reacting to a report in the "Wall Street Journal", which stated that the government was planning a large-scale raid against immigrants in Chicago on Tuesday and wanted to deploy 100 to 200 officers for this purpose. Trump's spokesmen did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Meanwhile, the Mexican border city of Tijuana is preparing for a humanitarian escalation due to massive deportations. The situation is serious, explained the administrator of the Proyecto Salesiano, Claudia Portela, in an interview with Kathpress on Saturday.

The threats are real. Deportations from the USA have already increased since Trump was elected in November.

Sozialexpertin Claudia Portela

"The threats are real. Ever since Trump was elected in November, deportations from the USA have increased. Here in Tijuana, we are bracing ourselves for similar drastic measures as in his first term or even worse," says the concerned social expert.

Mexican city of Tijuana declares state of emergency
The Pacific city of Tijuana, whose border crossing with San Diego in California is the busiest in the world, declared a state of emergency a few days before Trump took office on Monday in order to be prepared for the impending crisis. "The city is planning emergency protocols, such as using sports facilities as shelters if regular capacity is exceeded. But we know from experience that the infrastructure could quickly be overwhelmed," warned Portela.

Asylum seekers at the El Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana

(Bild: APA/AFP/Guillermo Arias)

Another problem is the lack of involvement of civil society in the planning. "The government has not consulted organizations like us, even though we are on the front line. This makes coordination and the efficient use of resources more difficult."

Migrants in Mexico: While Trump wants to crack down on immigrants, gangs are increasingly relying on threats, extortion and the exploitation of people in need.

(Bild: APA/AFP/ALFREDO ESTRELLA)

Portela recalled previous crises such as the introduction of the "Remain in Mexico" program in 2017 or "Title 42" during the Covid-19 pandemic. "Title 42 led to immediate deportations without asylum procedures. Migrants who made it across the border were detained and sent straight back. Those times caused a lot of stress and fear, and we expect that similar practices could be reintroduced." Even back then, large numbers of people were deported across the southern border of the USA to Tijuana, usually at night and often without warning, pushing the city to its limits.

Return is often a traumatic experience
For the deportees, returning to Mexico is often a traumatic experience. "Many don't know where to go. They often end up in Tijuana in the middle of the night, with no direction, no contacts and great uncertainty," explained the administrator. The situation is particularly problematic for families with children, who could be increasingly affected in the future according to Trump's announcements. "The emotional strain is enormous. They feel abandoned, don't know how to shape their future and are faced with a completely unknown environment."