Requests for Mexican Citizenship Are on the Rise Amid Fears of New US Immigration Orders Jean Guerrero - KPBS
go to original March 17, 2017

Applications for Mexican citizenship are on the rise, consular officials said this week.

The trend is part of a rise in patriotism among Mexicans in response to President Trump’s negative remarks about immigrants, as well as fears regarding new immigration orders that facilitate deportations.

Many immigrants who lack legal status in the U.S. are getting Mexican citizenship for their U.S.-citizen children so they can be prepared in case the family is forced to move back to Mexico. They want to have immediate access to Mexican services, such as health care and education if that happens.

Mexico's Consul General in San Diego, Marcela Celorio, said the consulate is hosting workshops to advocate for dual citizenship and is helping people obtain their Mexican birth certificates for free.

"What is going to happen when a parent goes back to Mexico but their kids are U.S. citizens? The kids should be Mexicans as well," Celorio said.

The Mexican consulate in San Diego has seen an uptick in applications for Mexican citizenship, she said, from about 100 a month last year to about 150 a month this year.

Read the rest at KPBS

Related: Poll Finds 90 Percent of Americans Are Open to a Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants (The Week)

Related: In Trump Era, Some Mexican Migrants Head North – to Canada (Reuters)

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