Officials in Mexico City Promise a 'Hospitable City' Destination for Migrants Jorge Valencia - Fronteras Desk
go to original February 16, 2017

A Spanish as a second language class with Haitian students at the Cafemin shelter for migrants in Mexico City. (Jorge Valencia, Fronteras Desk)

Across the U.S. cities are debating whether they should continue offering safe havens to undocumented immigrants in light of President Donald Trump’s policies. Across the border, Mexico City is implementing “sanctuary city” policies of its own.

Mexico received almost 9,000 asylum applications last year. And the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expects that number to more than double this year, in part because the U.S. has become less appealing.

Within Mexico, the capital city has become a certain kind of destination through policies that resemble those of U.S. sanctuary cities.

Mexico City employees are instructed to not ask for a person’s migratory status, said Ruben Fuentes Rodriguez, who heads the city’s agency overseeing aid to migrants.

Mexico City is the only local government in the country that issues ID cards to migrants. This gives them access to public health services.

The city also gives grants to help migrants start their own businesses. In 2015, the city funded more than 350 projects, such as a shoe repair shop, a beauty salon or a food cart.

“The spirit is to give them some sort of incentive to help them join the city’s economy in a formal way,” Fuentes Rodriguez said.

These policies are a result of the city’s Intercultural law, or “Ley de Interculturalidad,” of 2011.

Elisa Ortega Velasquez, a researcher focusing on migration issues at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said the city has more liberal tendencies than most of the country.

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