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MEXICO CITY — The U.S. Embassy in Mexico announced this week that all Mexican nationals deported from the United States will be sent to Chiapas, on the border with Guatemala, to deter future illegal entries into the U.S.
U.S. officials said this strategy seeks to distance deported individuals from Mexico’s northern border, making immediate re-entry more difficult and discouraging further attempts to cross the border.
In a statement, they explained that “by expelling migrants and repatriating them away from the border region, we prevent new attempts at illegal crossing, reduce cross-border illicit activity, and allow our law enforcement to leverage all resources to prevent criminals and dangerous contraband from entering our country and communities.”
The statement added that the U.S. government is using all federal and state resources to ensure that people who entered the country without documents are arrested, prosecuted when necessary “and expelled away from the border between the United States and Mexico.”
Immigrant rights advocates voiced concerns over the well-being of deportees because their forced relocation to a distant region complicates reintegration and increases their vulnerability.
Chiapas already faces security challenges, and the communities there may struggle with an influx of deportees, further straining their resources and services.
Mexican authorities said they are preparing legal and humanitarian strategies to manage the potential impact of the new policy.
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