Mexico said that it is creating a cellphone app that its citizens can use to alert their families and local consulate if they have been detained by U.S. immigration authorities. The move announced on Friday, Dec. 27, is in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to start mass deportations after he is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025.
Mexican officials said the app is undergoing small-scale testing and is “working very well.”
The app would reportedly allow users to press a tab that sends a notification to pre-selected relatives and the nearest Mexican consulate.
Mexican officials said the app should be ready sometime in January 2025.
U.S. law enforcement is already required to give notice to a migrant’s country of origin when a person is detained.
The Mexican government also noted that it has a 24-hour call center to answer questions migrants may have. The country has also reportedly added consular staff in preparation for deportations and to help migrants with the legal process.
Some have reportedly compared the app to a panic button for migrants.
The app could also potentially serve as a replacement for the CBP One app, which Trump has promised to end.
The CBP One app, developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), allows migrants to schedule an appointment with U.S. immigration officials for potential asylum.
The CBP One app was rolled out by the Biden administration in January 2023 to “reduce wait time and crowds at U.S. ports of entry.”
However in September 2024, Trump vowed to end the app, claiming it was being used to smuggle migrants into the United States.
