Mexico plans alert app for migrants facing arrest in US as Trump eyes mass deportation

Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico will launch a mobile application with an alert button for migrants facing imminent detention in the US, the government said Friday, following President-elect Donald Trump's threats of mass deportations.

Mexico will launch a mobile app with an alert button for migrants facing detention in the US following Trump's threats of mass deportations.
Mexico will launch a mobile app with an alert button for migrants facing detention in the US following Trump's threats of mass deportations.  © JOSH EDELSON / AFP

"If you find yourself facing imminent arrest, you press an alert button that sends a signal to the nearest consulate," Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente told a news conference.

The app, which is expected to be ready in January, will also notify the person's family and the Mexican foreign ministry, he added.

There were an estimated four million undocumented Mexican immigrants in the US in 2022, according to the US-based Pew Research Center.

Mexico president Claudia Sheinbaum hails "excellent" Trump talks after US tariff threat
Mexico Mexico president Claudia Sheinbaum hails "excellent" Trump talks after US tariff threat

Mexico has dozens of consulates across the neighboring country.

The Mexican government has been in talks with other countries, including Guatemala and Honduras, about their own contingency plans for possible mass deportations after Trump takes office on January 20, according to De la Fuente.

He said there would be a ministerial-level meeting between countries that are sources of migrants later to discuss the issue.

Trump has promised to declare a national emergency at the border with Mexico and expel millions who lack residency papers, calling the arrival of migrants an "invasion."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said her government is preparing a document highlighting the contribution of Mexican workers to the US economy.

Cover photo: JOSH EDELSON / AFP

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