Mexican citizens living in the Inland Empire: The Mexican government has your back, according to a Mexican government official.

“The consulate is with them,” said Julio Huerta, deputy consul at the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino. “They are not alone.”

Consulates are offices of a foreign government that, among other things, provide government services to citizens of their countries, including help with visas and passports.

“They have the right to contact the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino,” said Alexis Medina, the consul of protection at the San Bernardino consulate.

His job is to work with Mexicans living in the United States.

“We have resources for almost any branch of the law,” he said, “but especially immigration law.”

What’s happening?

On Monday, within hours of being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders. Among them are orders to:

Declare an “invasion” taking place at the nation’s southern border.

Allow U.S. military personnel to act as immigration and border enforcement officers.

Suspend the entry of refugees into the United States.

Ban birthright citizenship.

Build barriers across the southern border.

Eliminate or reevaluate programs that allow would-be immigrants to live in the U.S. while their cases are being decided.

Construct new Department of Homeland Security detention facilities to house those in the country illegally.

Threaten sanctions against any country that appears reluctant to take back any of their citizens deported by the U.S.

Repeal plans to prepare for how climate change will affect migration.

Instruct U.S. government agencies on which countries are doing such a poor job of vetting would-be immigrants to the country as to merit banning their citizens.

Deny federal funding to “sanctuary cities” that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

Pause federal funds going to groups that work with people who are in the country illegally.

Mexican response

The Mexican government swiftly responded to Trump’s moves Monday.

“Regarding the decrees that President Donald Trump signed yesterday, I would like to say the following: The people of Mexico can be sure that we will always defend our sovereignty and our independence,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a Tuesday morning news conference.

The Mexican government will take care of the needs of migrants in a “humanitarian” way, she said. The “México te Abraza” program — “Mexico Embraces You,” in English — includes shelters set up at nine Mexican cities along the border with the U.S., including Tijuana and Mexicali. Mexican nationals who are deported from the U.S. will be given temporary housing, medical care, food, access to telephones and receive job placement assistance, according to the Mexican government. Migrants from other countries deported by the U.S. will be sent on to their home countries, Sheinbaum said.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, as of 2021, 46% of immigrants in the United States without authorization are from Mexico. Immigrants from El Salvador and Guatemala each made 7% of the unauthorized immigrant population.

El Salvador’s and Guatemala’s consulates in San Bernardino did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

advice for nationals

On Thursday, the consulate had practical advice for Mexican nationals living in Southern California.

“What we recommend, in case they have any interaction with any authority is to remain silent,” Medina said. “They have the right to remain silent, to not disclose their immigration status, until they speak with a lawyer. They can say ‘I do not consent to a search, I want to speak to a lawyer, I want to make a call.’ That call can be to a lawyer or it can be to the consulate.”

Mexican residents also have the right to refuse to sign documents and to demand a translator, he said.

“The best defense is to know your rights,” Medina said.

But Mexicans detained by U.S. law enforcement shouldn’t lie to them or show them fake documents, Huerta cautioned.

He also recommended that Mexican immigrants should have plans in place for what will happen if one or more adults is detained or deported by U.S. immigration authorities, including plans for emergency child care and how to handle finances.

“If you think you could end up in Mexico, but your kids are not, somebody might have to take care of them,” Huerta said. “So plan that.”

He also showed off a new smartphone app the Mexican government rolled out this week. ConsulApp Contigo, available for both iOS and Android devices, includes information about U.S. immigration law. Users in the United States may communicate with and schedule appointments with their local consulate. It also includes a panic button that will alert the user’s emergency contacts and consulate officials if they’re detained by U.S. immigration authorities.

The Mexican government has set up a 24-hour hotline for Mexican citizens who need help with immigration issues: 520-623-7874. The San Bernardino consulate can also be reached 24 hours a day at 909-708-8093.

Consulate officials are participating in workshops and informational sessions about the rights of immigrants in the U.S., including a session hosted Wednesday night by the San Bernardino City Unified School District. The consulate is distributing information about how to deal with police, on business card-sized flyers at the events.