Sonia Solórzano, a Mexican migrant who lived in the United States for seven months due to insecurity in Michoacán, returned to Mexico with her family and reported being a victim of robbery and extortion by customs agents at the border.
When crossing through Nogales last weekend, customs agents stopped Sonia and her family. They requested the documents for their truck and proceeded to verify the details. Minutes later, they returned threatening to detain her husband for smuggling American cars, arguing that a Mexican cannot own a U.S. vehicle.
Sonia recounted that the agents continued the inspection and later demanded money. In an act of extortion, her husband had to pay 5,000 dollars to avoid being taken to jail, while they were given a short deadline to remove their belongings from the vehicle. The authorities eventually confiscated the cash and their car.
When asked about their plans upon returning to Michoacán, Sonia mentioned they would have to look for work since they lost everything they had at the border. Despite having received help from a shelter to leave Mexico due to violence in their home state, Sonia ruled out returning to the United States, especially due to the border closure implemented by Trump.
In contrast to Sonia's difficult situation, the Secretary of the Interior announced a plan to assist Mexican migrants facing mass deportations from the United States. The plan includes issuing the Bienestar Paisano card and access to various social programs such as pensions, scholarships, and medical services through IMSS and ISSSTE.
The program also involves collaboration with states and municipalities to welcome repatriated Mexicans. Additionally, the National Institute of Migration will provide support in the transportation of deportees in the coming months. In this context, Sonia Solórzano denounced the unfair treatment she and her family experienced upon returning to Mexico, highlighting the severity of the situation many migrants face when trying to rebuild their lives in their country of origin.
