Fuerza Migrante and Querétaro Connect Services for Querétaro Natives in the United States and Returning Migrants

• A WhatsApp line at +1 202-831-2930 has been set up to guide people from Querétaro in the United States and to channel cases of deported individuals or those in the process of returning to Mexico.
• Querétaro is the first state to formally join TodosM, the service network driven by Fuerza Migrante that connects organizations in the United States with programs and services from federal, state and municipal governments in Mexico.
• TodosM offers free or low-cost services in health, legal counsel, funeral assistance, connectivity and other areas; the Government of Querétaro will provide an additional subsidy for certain services.

Querétaro, Qro. — The Government of the State of Querétaro and Fuerza Migrante en Acción, A.C. signed an agreement to expand support for people from Querétaro living in the United States and to establish a support pathway for those who are deported or return to Mexico.

The agreement, signed by Eric Gudiño Torres, state Secretary of Government of Querétaro, and Avelino Meza, Secretary General of Fuerza Migrante, makes Querétaro the first state in the country to formally join TodosM.

People from Querétaro who need guidance can send a message via WhatsApp to 202-831-2930, a channel set up for outreach and follow-up. The number does not accept conventional phone calls.

Through the TodosM Service Center, each need will be identified and directed to the appropriate body: programs run by the Government of Querétaro, services available through the network, Federal Government programs, municipal authorities, or, when the matter falls under consular jurisdiction, the corresponding Mexican consulate.

TodosM does not replace the functions of public institutions or Mexico's consular network. Its role is to facilitate access to them: to guide, connect and follow up on each referral so people know who to turn to.

"We want someone from Querétaro in the United States to know where to turn, and if they return to Mexico—whether voluntarily or as a result of deportation—for there to be a pathway connecting them to the programs and services that can help them," said Avelino Meza.

In addition to guidance and referrals, TodosM brings together specialized free or low-cost services in areas such as health, legal counsel, funeral assistance and repatriation of remains, mobile connectivity and other forms of support.

As part of the partnership, the Government of Querétaro will provide an additional subsidy for certain services, according to criteria established by the state, with the aim of reducing costs for people who need this support.

The goal is for assistance not to end with a referral: when an available alternative exists, the person will be able to learn how to access it and receive follow-up throughout the process.

A Network Connecting Services in the United States and Mexico

The TodosM Service Center was officially launched a few weeks ago in Los Angeles, as a Fuerza Migrante initiative to bring together organizations, services and institutions working with the Mexican community on both sides of the border.

The model allows a request to be received from the United States, identifies what type of assistance is needed, and finds the appropriate pathway in both countries. In Mexico, cases can be channeled to federal, state and municipal government programs. In the United States, TodosM links people with organizations and service providers and, when a matter falls under the responsibility of Mexican authorities, refers the case to the relevant consular office. Celaya, Guanajuato, was the first municipality to formalize its collaboration with TodosM. Querétaro now becomes the first state government to join the network.

The partnership will also allow for continuity of care for people from Querétaro who return to the state, particularly deported individuals who need to connect with programs and services to facilitate their return.

According to information presented during the signing, around 250,000 first-generation migrants from Querétaro live in the United States, and when accounting for subsequent generations, the population of Querétaro origin exceeds 700,000 people. This population has a presence in more than 30 states, with significant concentrations in Texas, California, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as communities in New Jersey, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Montana. This dispersion is one of the challenges the new model seeks to address through a single point of contact that can guide and connect people from Querétaro with services and institutions in both countries.

The agreement builds on a working meeting that Eric Gudiño Torres held during a visit to New York with Jaime Lucero, founding president of Fuerza Migrante, where they discussed mechanisms to strengthen support for people from Querétaro living in the United States. Fuerza Migrante recognized the willingness of Governor Mauricio Kuri González and Secretary Gudiño Torres to turn that dialogue into a concrete support mechanism, as well as the outreach work of Juan Fernando Rocha Mier, president of Migrantes Unidos en Caravana and a member of Fuerza Migrante, in advancing the collaboration.

"What matters is not creating more structures, but connecting the ones that already exist. There are programs, institutions and organizations working in both countries. TodosM aims to ensure that a person who needs help knows who to turn to and can reach the right institution or service," said the Secretary General of Fuerza Migrante.