Feb 18, 2025
The platform accionmigrante.unam.mx provides migrants with assistance in two main areas: psychological support and legal guidance, offered by specialists from UNAM. The initiative involves the five UNAM offices in the United States (Los Angeles, Tucson, San Antonio, Chicago, and Boston), the Northwest Station of the Institute for Legal Research in Tijuana, and the Mexican Consular Network in the United States, which consists of 53 offices.
UNAM, Acción Migrante is a user-friendly site where migrants can easily access and request help and/or support from specialized personnel in the mentioned disciplines. The platform represents an initial step in a strategic collaboration between the two institutions to benefit migrants and will continue to expand and improve in the coming weeks.
Psychological assistance will be provided to migrants who require it, whether they are on either side of the border, after being remotely evaluated by university specialists. The goal is to assist individuals going through emotional crises. Through the platform, migrants can be referred to a professional who will call them, receive legal advice, obtain information about shelters, or participate in the program via WhatsApp messages.
The legal guidance service primarily provides essential information to migrants so they have the necessary knowledge to enforce their rights in the U.S. and avoid being victims of abuse—whether themselves or their families—by immigration or police authorities. Through coordinated messages between both institutions, Mexican nationals will receive specific guidance on how to proceed if their family has been separated, what to do with their assets after deportation, or how to return to Mexico, where they will always be welcomed.
During the launch event, UNAM's Rector, Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, emphasized that the platform is a tangible result of the synergy between academia and government. He stated, “Our university, with its vast and rich experience in teaching, research, and cultural outreach, and the SRE (Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs), with its diplomatic network, demonstrate that joint intervention is essential to face emerging challenges.” He called for united efforts to support Mexicans abroad, especially those who “see their sources of income, their assets, and their family unity at risk.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente highlighted the synergy between academic talent and expertise and the work of the 53 consulates, the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, and each consulate's strategic alliances. He expressed gratitude for the joint efforts, stressing that "these are times of unity."
The launch of this platform is one of several coordinated actions between UNAM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will increase in the coming weeks and months to provide greater support to migrants. Plans include academic events, informational sessions, debates, and awareness campaigns on both sides of the northern border to better address the country’s current migration challenges.
Through this initiative, UNAM and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirm their commitment to working together to protect Mexican communities in the United States. UNAM representatives at the event included: Tamara Martínez Ruíz, Secretary of Institutional Development; Néstor Martínez Cristo, Coordinator of Special Projects in the Rector's Office; María Elena Medina-Mora, Coordinator of Mental Health for the platform; Jorge Madrazo Cuéllar, Coordinator of Legal Guidance; Catalina Stern Forgach, Director of the Center for Mexican Studies in Tucson, Arizona.
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs included: Roberto Velasco, Head of the Unit for North America; Vanessa Calva, General Director of Consular Protection and Strategic Planning; Gisele Fernández, Head of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad; Along with other government officials.
