National Guard (Mexico)

File:National Guard of Mexico.jpg

The National Guard was launched by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2019. It has since played a major part in intensifying the enforcement of immigration policy. Before becoming president, López Obrador campaigned on a promise to take the military off the streets. Shortly after assuming office, he released a plan to create the National Guard under control of the Mexican Armed Forces which would be in charge of "preventing and combating crime".{{cite web |url=https://lopezobrador.org.mx/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Plan-Nacional-de-Paz-y-Seguridad_.pdf |title=Plan Nacional de Paz y Seguridad |website=transicion.mx |language=es |access-date=14 July 2019}} López Obrador stated that the new National Guard would be critical to solving Mexico's ongoing security crisis.{{cite news |last1=Semple |first1=Kirk |last2=Villegas |first2=Paulina |title=Mexico Approves 60,000-Strong National Guard. Critics Call It More of the Same. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/world/americas/mexico-amlo-national-guard.html?auth=login-email&login=email&module=inline |access-date=14 July 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=28 February 2019 |language=en}}

On 28 February, Congress voted to approve a 60,000-member national guard. On 27 May 2019, the law regulating the National Guard entered into force. On 30 June 2019, the National Guard was officially established.{{cite act|url=https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5564435&fecha=28/06/2019|title=Acuerdo por el que se establecen los elementos de la Policía Federal, de la Policía Militar y de la Policía Naval que integrarán la Guardia Nacional.|type=Acuerdo|year=2019|language=es}}{{cite news |last1=Correa |first1=Catalina Pérez |title=México necesita una Guardia Nacional realmente civil |url=https://www.nytimes.com/es/2019/08/08/espanol/opinion/guardia-nacional-mexico.html |access-date=9 August 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=8 August 2019 |language=es-LA}}

In June 2019, as part of a deal with the United States, Mexico agreed to deploy the newly formed National Guard to its border with Guatemala.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/06/10/731385412/mexico-scrambles-to-establish-national-guard-after-promising-to-tighten-border |title=Mexico Scrambles To Establish National Guard After Promising To Tighten Border |date=10 June 2019 |work=NPR |access-date=14 July 2019 |language=en}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/world/americas/mexico-migration-national-guard.html |title=Mexico's National Guard, a 'Work in Progress,' Deployed to Curb Migration |last1=Semple |first1=Kirk |date=14 June 2019 |work=The New York Times |access-date=14 July 2019 |location=Mexico City |language=en}} While the guard was always intended to enforce immigration policy, it was not intended to do so as soon as announced.

A 2019 survey sponsored by The Washington Post and Mexican newspaper Reforma gathered information on public opinion regarding both the new National Guard and illegal immigration to Mexico. The survey was conducted from 9 July to 14 July 2019, among 1,200 adults across the country in 100 election districts by way of face-to-face interviews. A 53% majority voiced their trust in the national guard, with two-thirds saying that they would like the national guard to be in their city, whereas 45% report that they feel more safe with the domestic force. Furthermore, the survey said 51% of Mexicans support utilizing the country's recently formed National Guard to repel migration by illegal immigrants.{{cite news |author=Clement, Scott |author2=Sieff, Kevin |title=Unauthorized Immigrants Face Public Backlash in Mexico, Survey |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/unauthorized-immigrants-face-public-backlash-in-mexico-survey-finds/2019/07/16/f7fc5d12-a75e-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2019-07-17 |access-date=2019-07-17}}

Legislative acts of Congress assign full control of the National Guard to the Secretary of Security and Civilian Protection, who is in charge of all matters related to the work of the NG in law enforcement and public security, and the Secretariat of National Defense related to its military work as auxiliary to the Mexican Armed Forces.

According to article 12 of the Law of the National Guard, the National Guard is organized on five command levels:

• Secretary of Security and Civilian Protection/Secretary of National Defense
• Operational Commander
• Territorial Coordinator
• State Coordinator
• Unit Coordinator

According to articles 29 and 30 of the Law of the National Guard, the ranks are:{{cite web |title=LEY DE LA GUARDIA NACIONAL |url=http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LGN.pdf |access-date=28 February 2023 |language=es |date=9 September 2022}}

• CASA/IPTN CN-235

• Fourth Transformation
• Federal Police (Mexico)
• Illegal immigration to Mexico

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website |url = https://www.gob.mx/guardianacional}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Military units and formations established in 2019

Category:Military of Mexico

Category:Federal law enforcement agencies of Mexico

Category:Gendarmerie

Category:Presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador