TEXAS — In Texas, there’s a natural flow between the U.S. and Mexico. Many with citizenship of one country spend their days in the other before heading back home. But in the last year, Mexican Consulates in Texas have seen an increase in people preparing for the possibility of staying in Mexico.
Consulates are offices representing their home country within a foreign nation. They protect their citizens living abroad and help people who qualify apply for citizenship. The latter is not something Mexican Consulates have seen much of for many years, but the consul general of Mexico in Laredo says applications for the service have nearly doubled since 2025 began.
Consul General Juan Carlos Mendoza told Spectrum News 1 that 945 people living in Laredo applied for Mexican citizenship in 2025, compared to 482 in 2024. We compared this with other Mexican Consulates in Texas and saw a similar trend. The consulates in Houston and Dallas saw 151% and 37.5% increases in applications last year, respectively.
Mendoza says some applicants are American citizens with Mexican-born parents, but most are dual citizens applying on behalf of their American-born children.
“It’s much better if you cross the border and you are Mexican,” Mendoza said. “They need that document [birth certificate] because when they go back to Mexico, they need to enroll the children in schools.”
Applications have increased amid what Mendoza calls “aggressive” immigration policies.
“It’s more difficult for people to live in the states during this year than the situation they had to face four or five years ago,” Mendoza said.
He says most applicants are not immediately moving to Mexico; rather, it’s a backup plan.
“It’s like when you buy insurance for your car. You are not thinking you are going to crash,” Mendoza said. “They are preparing in case they face a situation; if they need to come back to Mexico, they are ready.”