A dramatic rise in Mexican citizenship registrations across U.S. consulates reflects growing anxiety among immigrant families as deportation policies tighten under the Trump administration.
In the United States, more than 125,000 people obtained Mexican nationality in 2025. This figure represents a 153% increase over 2024 and exceeds the combined total of registrations from the three preceding years, according to statistics from the Secretaria of Foreign Affairs (SRE). The rush among second- and third-generation Mexicans to obtain citizenship has skyrocketed since Republican President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January of last year. This process grants individuals access to public services in Mexico, the right to vote, and consular protection.
Why are Mexican Americans applying for Mexican citizenship?
A family in which Mexican parents are deported while a minor child holds only U.S. citizenship would face a case of forced separation, as Mexican authorities cannot intervene on behalf of an individual who is not registered as a Mexican national. Holding dual citizenship offers a means of securing protection in such instances, in addition to ensuring access to basic services should the family return to Mexico. Nationality can be obtained even if one was born abroad, provided that at least one parent is a Mexican national.
Donald Trump has made irregular migration one of the central pillars of his second term. Through the tightening of immigration policies and raids conducted by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), he has sought to fulfill his campaign pledge to carry out “the largest mass deportation program in history”—expelling what he terms “the worst” elements from the country.
Did Trump immigration policies increase dual citizenship requests?
Against this backdrop, instances of families seeking to safeguard their children’s rights amidst the current climate of uncertainty have become widespread across the United States. Since the Republican took office, birth registrations have doubled in 60% of Mexico’s consulates. Consular offices in locations such as Orlando, Florida, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, recorded the most significant surges, with increases of 444% and 333%, respectively.
