Undocumented Mexican workers in the US may get retirement assistance from Mexico

After decades of working in the U.S. and sending money back home to Mexico, many older undocumented immigrants may soon get retirement help from their native homeland.

For the first time, the government of Mexico may expand retirement assistance to its citizens living in the U.S.

The Mexican government announced it's planning to expand its Bienestar pension program to Mexican seniors abroad. Officials say it could happen next year.

Advocates for the expansion of Mexico's pension program gathered in the Westlake District Wednesday to voice their support.

"I've been sending support to my family for 23 years since I've been here," Martha Salazar said through a translator. "Very early on when I was working here, I started working double shifts so that I could send money to my children so they can study, so we can pay for our home."

Advocates say older immigrants who are undocumented have no pension or retirement benefits to rely on, and many would send most of their paycheck to help their family in Mexico. Now they struggle to make ends meet.

"I have very serious health issues. These issues make me vulnerable in all sorts of different ways," Arturo Juan Manuel Herrera, who is from Mexico and undocumented, said through a translator. "I worry every day that my wife can become sick because of how much she has to work."

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reports that in 2022, undocumented immigrants contributed nearly $97 billion in federal state and local taxes.

A recent report by the nonprofit National Day Laborer Organizing Network shows that in 2023, Mexico received more than $60 billion in remittances, primarily from Mexicans working low-paying jobs in the U.S.

The nonprofit says there are hundreds of thousands of older immigrants who are undocumented that have contributed to both the U.S. and Mexican economy.