The Tijuana City Council unanimously approved an emergency declaration Monday night to free up local funds and prepare for the possible arrival of migrants to the city from the U.S. if incoming President Donald Trump makes good on his campaign promise of mass deportations.
The vote, which took place in a virtual special meeting, came a week before Trump begins his second term.
Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño highlighted after the council vote that “there was excellent coordination with the federal government.”
Burgueño said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is following the city’s plans for preventive measures, which are being taken in collaboration with the state. He added that they want to ensure that migrants are treated with dignity and respect for their human rights, as well as a safe return to their place of origin.
The emergency declaration allows the city to quickly access local funds to address the “atypical situation,” reads the proposal sent by the mayor to council members before the meeting. The money — it’s not clear how much — could be used for hiring personnel, leasing facilities, utilities, Internet and legal services, among other needs. The declaration also allows the city to apply for existing federal funds if needed, but that would entail a separate process, officials said.
Mexico has been working on a plan in response to Trump’s announced immigration crackdown. The approach includes measures in Mexico’s northern border states and in its 53 consulates in the U.S., including San Diego.
About 4.8 million Mexican nationals are living in the U.S. without documentation, Mexican officials estimated last month. In San Diego County, there are about 120,000 undocumented Mexicans, according to the Mexican consulate.
Sheinbaum had repeatedly insisted that Mexico will only accept migrants who are citizens of Mexico. But last week, during one of her daily press conferences, she left open another possibility, saying that in cases where the U.S. could not return migrants to their home countries, “we can collaborate through different mechanisms,” the Associated Press reported.
Mexico has received people from certain other countries under previous agreements with the U.S.
Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila announced last month the opening of new shelters in Tijuana and Mexicali to temporarily house deportees and help them return to their home states if they decide to do so.
Ávila said last week that when it comes to Trump’s threats, it is better to “even exaggerate in our actions and preventive measures” and that the state “will help our migrant brothers and sisters who may arrive in Baja California in the best way possible.”
Burgueño proposed renting an industrial building in southern Tijuana with the capacity for housing 5,000 people in order to avoid using public facilities where temporary shelters have been set up in the past.
Ávila said Monday that city and state officials will work this week with the intention of opening the shelters before Trump’s inauguration.
In Tijuana, the city expected to receive the most deportees in the state, options are still being evaluated to ensure the new shelters meet all requirements set by the federal government, Ávila said Monday. As for the mayor’s proposal, she said, “It has not been ruled out, but neither has it been approved.”
