Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum stressed this Friday, April 25, 2025, that the migratory phenomenon is not unidirectional and recalled that there are also thousands of Americans living in Mexico without immigration documents, within a community estimated at 1.5 million people. “Here they are received with affection,” he affirmed during his morning conference.
Sheinbaum’s statements come at a time when migration is once again at the center of U.S. political discourse, with former President and current candidate Donald Trump promising mass deportations if he returns to the White House.
Americans migrating to Mexico
The Mexican President explained that many of these Americans living in Mexico -including young professionals and people of different economic levels- do so without fully complying with immigration requirements. Despite this, she noted that Mexico offers hospitality and opportunities, especially for those who work remotely.
“Many work remotely. They not only stay in Mexico City, but also in northern states such as Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur,” Sheinbaum commented. In the capital, it is common to see their presence in neighborhoods such as Roma, Condesa, Juarez and Cuauhtemoc, areas where they have settled as digital nomads in recent years.
Tensions over gentrification and cultural respect
However, the growing presence of foreigners has also generated tensions in local communities. Neighbors in Mexico City and Oaxaca have expressed concerns about rising prices and gentrification. Just this week, an incident in Mazatlán, Sinaloa – where an American prevented a worker from eating on the sidewalk in front of his house – generated protests and reactions on social networks.
Faced with these facts, the Mexican president was clear: “Whoever comes to visit has to respect Mexicans. Mexico and Mexicans are respected, and racist or classist attitudes are not accepted”.
Mexican migrants and their weight in the U.S. economy.
Buzzy
In addition to defending the dignified treatment of foreigners in Mexico, Sheinbaum took the opportunity to vindicate the importance of Mexican migrants in the United States, particularly the nearly 5 million who live without documents. She recalled that remittances sent by this community represent almost 4% of Mexico’s GDP, with a record of almost 65 billion dollars in 2024.
She also announced that on Monday she will present an updated report from the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC), a research center that estimated in January that Mexicans in the U.S., both migrants and native-born, contribute $2.06 trillion to the U.S. economy, equivalent to approximately 10% of U.S. GDP.
“They underpin a good part of the U.S. economy,” he concluded.
They not only stay in Mexico City, but also in northern states such as Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur
Claudia Sheinbaum
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