What is Paisano Program and Why It Has Been Suspended?

The National Migration Institute’s Paisano Program, according to Mexican government official website, is a program created in 1989.

This program guarantees that the entry, transit, and exit of Mexican nationals through Mexican territory, with an absolute guarantee of their rights.

Also, the security of their assets and full knowledge of their obligations.

The basis of the creation of the Paisano Program was the citizen’s proposal of social, business and religious organizations.

In addition, the policies of the Mexican and Mexican-American community residing in the United States contemplated it.

Equally important, this is to create mechanisms that they will control and gradually eliminate the indices of mistreatment, extortion, robbery, corruption, and arrogance.

Felonies which public servants commit against con-nationals in their transit through the country.

Thus, the Paisano Program was born with the next premise:

“Agreement that implements actions for the improvement of federal public servants in the borders, seaports and international airports of the country”.

Quoted from the Official Gazette of the Federation on April 6, 1989.

The objective of this program is to procure respect for the rights of Mexicans residing abroad.

Also, the return to Mexico temporarily, if they need it. 

Carrying it out through the coordination of programs and services that can be accessed at consulates and NMI Representations in the United States.

Currently, the Paisano Program works through an interagency coordination mechanism.

39 agencies collaborate, with a National Directorate, which coordinates the actions of 32 State Program Links assigned to the Federal Delegations.

Furthermore, with 3 representations in the United States located in the Mexican consulates: Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California, and Houston, Texas.

This plan reinforces its actions in the periods of greatest influx of Mexicans into national territory establishing, through special operations.

These periods are Easter, summer, and winter.

The state and municipal governments participate and collaborate actively with the Program.

Why the president suspended the Paisano Program?

According to Al Día Dallas, making reference to an Excelsior publication, this was suspended by the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The government’s intentions are to restructure the program.

But, analyst Leon Krauze explains that the officers were not given any reason on this.

AMLO said that “We have decided that we no longer have offices of the federal agencies abroad, (…) that all the activity of representation of Mexico abroad is carried out by embassies and consulates”.

Otherwise, immigrants say that the Mexican government should be supportive of nationals in the United States.

Krauze said that “People who travel to Mexico without knowing their rights and obligations will be more easily extorted”.

“The temporary closure and, worse still, the learning curve with respect to the new norms, will bring as a collateral damage a greater perception of orphanhood, already present in many Mexicans”.

Mexicans abroad will just have to wait for final decisions to know what is going to happen with their status.