Washington, Jan 21
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated her US counterpart Donald Trump on his inauguration on Monday and called for "dialogue, respect and cooperation" between the closely connected countries.
"On behalf of the government of Mexico, I congratulate Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States of America. As neighbours and business partners, dialogue, respect, and cooperation will always be the symbol of our relationship," she wrote on X.
In his first speech as President, Trump said he "will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came".
Trump vowed to reinstate "Remain in Mexico", a policy from his first administration requiring anyone seeking to enter the United States through Mexico to remain in that country.
He also promised to "send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country".
But ahead of Trump's inauguration, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and members of her Cabinet expressed their disagreement with his plan to revive the "Remain in Mexico" policy and the "unilateral deportations" of Mexican nationals living in the US.
"If they reinstate it, this is something we don’t agree with. We have a different focus. We want to adjust it," Juan Ramon de la Fuente, Mexico's secretary for external relations, said in a news conference on Monday morning.
But ultimately, "the desire is to keep the same policies as now," he added.
De la Fuente described the "Remain in Mexico" policy as a "unilateral" one, meaning that it "does not require the assistance of other countries" to put it in place.
While the policy does not obligate Mexico to process US asylum requests, de la Fuente said, "We can come to some agreements and find a way to operate."
Sheinbaum said she and her administration "insist that there is a possibility to get asylum, not only from the border in person but from a distance in the southern part of the country or in other countries".
"That’s what we’re working on," she added.
Sheinbaum also insisted that the CBP One app, which allowed migrants seeking asylum to be prescreened before reaching the US, should be kept.
According to her, "This will help alleviate the tension in the northern border of Mexico and the southern border of the US."
However, the website for the CBP One app said on Monday noon that it "is no longer available, and existing appointments have been cancelled".
Earlier, US President Trump said on Monday that he would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America today as he highlighted the several actions he will immediately take.
"America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth -- inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world," Trump said.
"A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America."
Mexico's Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez on Monday announced a project called "Mexico Embraces You", providing support for Mexican citizens who could be deported from the United States after Donald Trump takes office.
"Mexico will do everything necessary to defend, care for, and allocate what is needed to receive those who are repatriated in order to achieve their reincorporation to their native country," Rodríguez said during a press conference on Monday morning.
Through the "Mexico Embraces You" plan, the country's National Migration Institute will be in charge of receiving Mexicans from abroad, processing their repatriation, and supporting transfers to their places of origin, the Secretary said.
The government said Mexican citizens will be given 2,000 Mexican pesos (about $100) upon arrival to use during their transfer to their place of origin.
Rodríguez added that the National Population Registry -- which is similar to the US Social Security number system -- will process identity documents if necessary.
The Interior Secretary said that the government has been working and developing the plan since Trump pledged to carry out mass deportations.
The plan was developed in coordination with international organisations, including the International Organisation for Migration, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Unicef.
Mexican President Sheinbaum said that she would try to communicate with Trump's team after the inauguration, and she asked Mexican citizens living in the US to remain calm.
