TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - The Mexican Government is setting up a network of lawyers to help Mexicans fight deportation from the U.S.
Mexican Consulates, like the one in Tucson-- will help Mexicans connect with immigration lawyers.
In some cases the Mexican Government will help pay the legal bills.
If you want to see how the Mexican Government is responding to the new immigration push by the United States Government just take a look at what's going on in the Mexican Consulates.
The consulate's main mission is to help any Mexican citizen who needs help in the U.S.
Mexico's consulate for Tucson hosts a help center that takes calls from Mexicans living all over the U.S.
Consul Ricardo Pineda says about 70 percent of the calls are for routine services but 30 percent are from Mexicans worried about immigration issues.
He says before the U.S. election, nationwide call volume was about seven hundred per day now it may be roughly twice that--13 to 15 hundred a day.
Friday Mexican Consulates announced a network of lawyers ready to help with immigration issues across the U.S.
Consul Pineda says sometimes consulates will cover the legal fees.
"We are more than happy to analyze every case on a case by case basis.”
KGUN9 reporter Craig Smith: “So based on need?”
Pineda: “Yes."
Immigration restrictions and plans to build more border barriers are a special issue for local tribes like the Pascua Yaqui.
They have communities in the the U.S. and Mexico. As sovereign nations they reserve the right to move easily between them.
Pascua Yaqui Tribal Chairman Robert Valencia says, “We have to survive as one nation. It's not a nation here and a nation in Mexico so... “
Craig Smith asked: “Are you concerned tribal members are going to have difficulty moving freely back and forth?”
Robert Valencia: “I'm very concerned over that because it's really important for us.”
And the Pascua Yaqui chairman says the tribe has about 20 thousand members in the U.S. But about 40 thousand in Mexico with a U.S. Mexico border between them, much newer than the tribe's ancient presence in these lands.
The Department of Homeland Security's estimates sketch an interesting picture of where Arizona fits in the immigration issue. They show show Arizona is barely in the top ten for unauthorized immigrants.
Of 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants estimated to be in the U.S. as of 2012 (the most recent DHS estimate), California is tops with 2.8 million, followed by Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois.
Arizona ranks 9th with an estimated 350 thousand.
People who enter on a legal visa but stay after it expires are an important part of the immigration issue. Latest DHS statsshow Canadians top that category. Twice as many Canadians overstay Visas as Mexicans do, almost a hundred thousand Canadians compared to just over 45 thousand Mexicans.
