Mexico has deported almost all immigrants staying in government migrant centers after removing thousands of individuals to control the spread of COVID-19. 


Migrants Deported To Their Country

There are 65 government migrant facilities in Mexico that shelter people from different countries while waiting for the approval of their American-asylum application. Most of them are in groups, like families who wanted to leave their country of origin because of domestic violence.

According to Mexico's National Migration Institute, there are only 106 migrants left in the country. Last month, the Mexican government held 3,759 people, but they deported 3, 653 to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. This is following health and safety guidelines to combat the spread of COVID-19. 

An official from the National Migration Institute said that those who remained in the centers are waiting for their application, judicial hearing, or had asked to stay.


Suspension of Immigration Procedure for 60 Days 

President Donald Trump recently announced that he signed an executive order suspending the immigration procedure for 60 days. Following this, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection removed nearly 7,000 migrants from Mexico, including almost 400 children. 

Kayleigh McEnany, White House Press Secretary, said on Monday: "President Trump is committed to protecting the health and economic well-being of American citizens as we face unprecedented times. As President Trump has said, 'Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African-American and Latino workers.' At a time when Americans are looking to get back to work, the action is necessary."

It can also be recounted that the United States, Canada, and Mexico that are sharing the same borders have agreed as well to extend the non-essential travels to contain and control the spread of the virus from any of the three countries.

The institute's migrant centers and shelters have a total capacity of more than 8,000. Victor Clark Alfaro, a migration expert at San Diego State University, said that the policy of Mexico today is "to contain and deport." 

However, deporting migrants will be hard for the Mexican government because there are dozens of shelters run by religious groups and non-government organizations who continue to harbor migrants in the country.

Some are not waiting to be deported while others wish to leave the country and go back to their country of origin because of the fear of being infected by the virus. 

More than 80 Guatemalan migrants were deported recently from the United States because they tested positive for the virus. Trump's move to suspend the migration process and extend the non-essential travels will help flatten the curve.

On the other hand, the action of Mexico to deport migrants who are staying in the country illegally will also help control the spread of the virus in shelters that are already congested enough. 


Read a related article: