Mexican Consulate Of San Diego Announces Program To Support Immigrants

Will Donald Trump follow through on his campaign promises about mass deportations of Mexican nationals? No one knows for sure but the Mexican diplomatic service in the US is trying to prepare for any contingency. Mexican consulates across the country have launched a campaign called, we are with you. That includes 11 initiatives to educate immigrants about their rights and answer immigration related questions. Joining me is Marcela Celorio. She is Mexican Consul General in San Diego. Welcome to the program. Thank you for having me. Since it is not known what kind of immigration policy a Trump administration will enforce, what kind of advice are you giving Mexican nationals here in the US? Maureen to begin with we are following this thing that you have in the states that is hope for the best, prepare for the worst. The network at the 50 consulates that are posted in -- across the US are prepared to provide citizen services and the protection that our national needs. One of our advice is to the Mexican community is to come to the consulate and avoid any fraud that they may be caught up. What do you mean by that, avoid any fraud? In this time of uncertainty a lot of people in so-called lawyers are going to approach our community and they are going to tell them they can fix their situation and they can provide anything they need and they will help them but that is not true. We have to be aware of that in the only reliable source is the Mexican consulate where we can get them, identify them and provide them what they need. What I have heard as well is the consulate is advising Mexican nationals, immigrants here to the US to get whatever paperwork they have in order. If they are legal residents perhaps to apply for citizenship is that right? That is correct. As you know a person has the right to the identity so the Mexican consulate will provide passport, identification, and that will help them in California at least to get their license so we advising them to go there and we will provide those documents. Of what about the DAC a program. A lot of people are concerned that will be ended after President Obama leaves office. Some immigration specialists are advising immigrants here illegally not to apply since there is more certainty, there is no certainty about how their personal information will be used by another administration. We are concerned about that because yes as you said, we do not know how this information will be used but what we are doing is we have some lawyers working with the consulate that will provide advice regarding every case so if the people at the schools, I have been having some meetings with similar organizations, with the students, I've been telling them that in any case if they already have DACA they can move on but if they do not have the DACA it is better to wait until we have some news. Of how -- how high is the level of uncertainty among the people you have been speaking with, the Mexican nationals, the immigrants here in San Diego? That is a lot of in uncertainty. Mainly among the DACA, the dreamers they do not know what will happen because as you know this is a temporary program and they are able to work and study but now they do not know what will happen. We have been telling them that in any case, they can return home, they can return to Mexico and we are ready for that as well. How is Mexico ready for that? In many cases in people who work brought here as children do not really even speak Spanish but they have never lived in Mexico so what kind of assistance might you be able to provide in the case that perhaps some of them are deported back to Mexico? In July the Ministry of foreign relations and the ministry of the interior, we signed an agreement to implement this program called -- Mexico. This is a program that is aimed to provide a welcoming to the Mexican people that come back and we will help them with the Ministry of education, the Ministry of labor, the health ministry to provide them all the tools so they can be able to navigate in Mexico again. We already have some agreements on how they are going to deport them. There is a procedure so you cannot just send them away. There is a procedure that they need to be listened by the judge so there is a lot going on. It sounds to me as if the consulate is going to make sure that whatever decision that the Trump administration makes about their immigration policy, that the procedures are followed in each individual case is that the idea? That is correct. Went to expect to have a clear idea of what immigration policies the Trump administration will actually be pursuing? The President-elect has been appointing some of his members of his cabinet so we will see who will be in DHS and let's see who is the step that will work with them. When we have information we will follow up but actually Mexico is working at a high level to sit down and talk about whatever comes. If there are people who are Mexican nationals who are immigrants in this country listing to this, what would you tell them to do? Should they actually get in contact with the consulate, should they come there, phone, email, what should they do? We already have two lines that are working 24/seven so I would encourage the Mexican community to call us, 85546363954, 877-632-6678. We want to send them the message that they are not alone. I've been speaking with Marcela Celorio, she is Mexican Consul General in San Diego and thank you so much. Thank you Maureen.