The Government of Mexico could face significant expenses if the deportation of more than a million Mexicans from the United States materializes. Data from the College of the Northern Border indicate that there are around 4.9 million illegal Mexican migrants in the U.S., representing 13% of compatriots residing in Mexico.
If the administration of Donald Trump carries out its plan for mass deportations, it is estimated that the cost of the Bienestar Paisano Cards would amount to 9,852 million pesos, exceeding the budgets allocated to programs such as High Schools and Universities for Wellbeing or Wellbeing House by House.
The potential mass deportations could generate direct effects, especially in northern Mexico. According to Alfredo Valadez García, an academic at CETYS University, the reintegration of this population into the labor market will require an adjustment in the labor dynamics of the region, as well as generating economic implications that will demand more resources for their attention.
The 'Mexico Embraces You' strategy proposes the possibility of providing access to programs such as the Wellbeing Pension for the elderly, Youth Building the Future, and Women with Wellbeing, as well as social security in support of deported migrants.
According to estimates, more than a million Mexicans could be deported, representing a financial challenge for the country. Eufemia Basilio from the Institute for Economic Research at UNAM emphasized that both potential mass deportation and selective deportation bring financial problems for Mexico.
The 'Mexico Embraces You' operation announced by the government of Claudia Sheinbaum in response to Trump's immigration policies could further pressure public finances, which already have limited maneuvering room, according to experts. Efforts to support repatriated compatriots would include the distribution of the Bienestar Paisano card, although the implementation of these mechanisms could be gradual.
