Mexico creates an app to assist Mexican citizens in the U.S.

Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente announced the creation of an emergency app called ConsulApp Contigo. 

The app is available on Android devices and will allow Mexican nationals in the U.S. to learn about their rights and what to do in emergencies. This platform features a contact button that enables users to upload information for emergency contacts and locate the nearest consulate.

He announced that the Ministry has assembled a team of 2,610 people, including legal counsel under contract and partnerships with law schools and law firms. Additionally, 1,773 staff members are dedicated to consular protection and documentation, bringing the total to 4,383 people working to protect and defend Mexican nationals.

The consular network includes 53 consulates.

Key initiatives include “Know Your Rights” programs, strategic alliances with local officials, and ensuring due process. Mexican citizens in the U.S. are not alone and will have the legal protection they need.

The Foreign Secretary emphasized that deportation from the United States requires a court order, a final deportation order, or a removal order and the consular team will be vigilant in ensuring due process is followed.

He said that special attention will be given to all Mexican citizens who wish to return to Mexico, as well as to those who might face deportation and their families.

"We are also making extensive efforts to encourage all those with children born in the United States to register them with the consulates. Not everyone has done this yet. We strongly encourage everyone to register with our consulates as this enables us to provide legal protection when needed,” he emphasized.

He discussed the ongoing work to strengthen strategic alliances with local authorities, mayors, council members, and state and federal legislators to ensure a real impact in Mexican communities, combat false information, and highlight the contributions of Mexican citizens in the United States.

He noted that there are 38.4 million Mexicans in the United States, 11.5 million of whom are first-generation. 4.8 million of them are undocumented migrants, and 26.9 million are second or subsequent generations.

According to the Mexican government, in 2023, migrants in the U.S. sent more than 60 billion dollars in remittances to their families in Mexico while also making substantial tax contributions to the U.S. economy.

Last year, the United States' Gross Domestic Product was 27.7 trillion dollars, of which approximately 8% is attributable to the Mexican population there. According to U.S. figures from two years ago, undocumented Mexicans contributed approximately 42.6 billion dollars in taxes, while Mexican migrants as a whole contributed close to 121.5 billion dollars.