MEXICO CITY

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday addressed the onslaught of executive orders signed by newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump, vowing to protect Mexico's sovereignty and independence.

She tried to separate expected changes in Trump’s presidency from threats that are a hallmark of the Republican leader.

Accompanied by top government officials, Sheinbaum addressed the decrees and what they could entail for Mexico as her administration has already worked on a contingency plan for Trump's rule.

"It is always important to keep a cool head and refer to the signed decrees beyond the rhetoric itself; meaning, what truly matters in the strict sense of the law are the decrees signed by President Trump,” she said at a news conference. “So, let's put everything into context because it is important for the people of Mexico to understand all of them.”

Regarding the shared border between the US and Mexico, which has been a central focus of Trump's campaign and foreign policy toward Mexico, Sheinbaum said a plan has been developed to address mass deportations and border closures imposed by Trump through decrees he signed Monday.

Given that Mexico is a transit country for those from various nations seeking refuge in the US, as well as the leading nationality of migrants living in the US, Trump's executive orders present two challenges for Mexico: to care for Mexican nationals, as well as to manage the migratory flows of tens of thousands of people from other countries expelled by the US.

"We have our own immigration policy, but we are also a humanitarian government. If there is a person at the border, especially now, with such cold weather, we will clearly act in a humanitarian way; we will not leave people exposed to the elements," said Sheinbaum.

While vowing humanitarian action to care for the mass of ousted immigrants from countries outside Mexico, Sheinbaum came under fire for the excessive use of force displayed by the military against immigrants, where Mexican armed forces have shot and killed at least eight immigrants from Latin America in the first month of her administration that began in October.

Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente championed the migratory policy enforced by Mexico and its military, citing a decline of 78% of migrant encounters at the northern border.

Trump signed decrees to secure the immediate expatriation of undocumented immigrants by reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), commonly known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy and declared a national emergency at the US southern border, after his inauguration on Monday.

Sheinbaum shrugged off the decrees as Trump already used both during his first term.

For Mexican nationals, however, Mexico has worked on a contingency plan "for months" to assist those deported by Trump.

Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez unveiled the "Mexico Embraces You" plan, a strategy designed to help and allocate ousted Mexicans.

The plan is set in both countries as Mexico has worked on a "consular" network of all 53 seats across the US and has hired more than 2,600 lawyers to assist Mexicans with immigration laws and human rights. Mexico also launched a mobile phone app so Mexicans can request immediate assistance.

In Mexico, all expatriated nationals can access a monetary relief fund for 2,000 pesos ($100) and access Mexico's public health care plan. In the near future, the government will also work toward helping expatriates get employment.

On the designation of drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Sheinbaum said her government will not allow any foreign military intervention and Trump's decree is only effective within the US, as her government has been curious about criminal organizations operating inside the US.

"They can act within their own territory, and they must act. As we've said here before, criminal organizations are operating within the United States that are the ones selling fentanyl and other drugs. So, on their territory, they take action. About Mexico, we defend our sovereignty and always seek dialogue for cooperation without subordination, as we have stated on other occasions," said Sheinbaum.

Trump has taken a confrontational tone regarding his foreign policy. On the campaign trail, the billionaire antagonized Greenland, Canada and Panama with notions of US territorial and political expansion, which includes renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

"So, it is important to look at what the decree says, which is why I always say we must act according to what is written. It refers to their continental shelf, but for us and for the entire world, it is still called the Gulf of Mexico."