The Mexican media and government pay very close attention to immigration-related topics in the United States. I learned this when I resided in Mexico and it’s still quite true today.
A recent example is their reaction to Thomas Homan.
On November 10, President-elect Trump announced he was designating Thomas Homan as “Border Czar”.
Homan will be “in charge of our nation’s borders” and “all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin,” Trump stated on Truth Social.
At a press conference the morning after Trump’s announcement, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked what she thought about Homan’s appointment.
“Doctor [Sheinbaum has a doctorate], last night Donald Trump, the next president of the United States, announced that Tom Homan would be ‘border czar.’ In our country, we recall that he already was part of his team when Donald Trump was president, and there were many criticisms because he implemented this policy of separating the children from their parents when they attempted to cross the border. Do you have any opinion about this new appointment, Doctor?”
Note how quickly this Mexican reporter knew about the Homan appointment and about his history with Trump.
Mexicans keep up with this stuff!
The Presidenta’s response?
“We are going to try to get into contact with President Trump’s transition team before he takes office. We are always going to defend the female Mexicans and male Mexicans [sounds awkward in Spanish too] who are on the other side of the border, because they are also necessary for the economy of the United States,” Sheinbaum said.
“It is important to get into contact to know what they are thinking, and, to the extent possible, coordinate in advance.”
On November 12, the topic of the new Trump administration came up again at a morning press conference:
“President, on another subject, uncertainty is growing about our fellow Mexicans who live in the United States, given the recent appointments of President-elect Trump. What message would you give to our fellow Mexicans who are worried about mass deportations the Republican promised in campaign? Is Mexico preparing to receive its undocumented and other [non-Mexican] undocumented after being expelled? Would you insist on a migratory reform as President Andres Manuel [Sheinbaum’s predecessor] did in his time?”
President Sheinbaum: “We are reinforcing the consulates… to say to our brothers and sisters in the United States that we are always going to defend them, that they should get close to the consulates.”
With 52 offices in the U.S., the Mexican consular network is the biggest in the world. So that’s no idle promise.
We can expect Mexican meddling carried out by the consulates, who openly intervene in U.S. immigration policy with almost no objection raised about it. Many of our leaders, such as Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, collaborate with meddling Mexican officials.
As for President Sheinbaum, I agree that she should defend Mexicans. That’s her job after all.
But how about defending Mexicans in Mexico, with its cartel violence and high murder rate? Wouldn’t that be more productive than interfering in U.S. politics?
I’m not the only person asking such questions.
President Sheinbaum posted a video on social media in which she vowed to defend the “brothers and sisters in the United States.”
Some users voiced support for the president’s posture in the reply section, while others did not.
“You can’t defend the ones in Mexico. Much less those in the United States,” wrote ALEJANDRO 100% DE IZQUIERDA RADICAL (100% RADICAL LEFT).
A user called Gabs urged, “First defend those who live here! They’re killing us!”
Another user shared a large meme reading, “Donald Trump – La Esperanza de México (the Hope of Mexico).”
Interesting…
Maybe the fact that the Mexican elite are worried about Trump, Homan, and Co. is a good sign that the Trump team could make a difference.
At least, that’s how the Mexican president apparently sees it.