Human rights and immigrant advocates are calling on the Mexican government to devote more resources to supporting the growing number of Mexicans deported from the United States.

Mexican government data show that the U.S. deported 53,764 Mexicans in the first three months of the year, up 40 percent over the same quarter a year earlier. Deportations had fallen during President Donald Trump’s first year in office, but this year’s figures have now surpassed the total for the same period in 2016, the final year of Barack Obama’s administration.

Eunice Rendon of Migrant Agenda said Wednesday at a news conference with Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission that Mexico must provide additional funding for reintegration.

Rendon says the longer immigrants have lived in the U.S. the fewer ties they have in Mexico.

(AP)