Mar 31, 8:41 PM EDT
Mexican government pledges aid to migrants expelled from U.S.

TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) -- Mexican officials on Monday launched a new program aimed at helping undocumented migrants regain their footing after being expelled from the U.S.

Migrants arriving in the city of Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, will get free bus tickets to their home towns starting Monday, Raul Zarate, spokesman for the National Immigration Institute, said at the launch ceremony. Previously, the government offered to pay only half.

The government has also assigned 10 immigration agents to work around the clock to assist deported Mexicans in finding temporary shelter and getting medical attention, said Francisco Javier Reynoso, the institute's delegate in Baja California state.

The steps are part of a pilot program that will be expanded next to Nogales, Sonora, on the Arizona border. Officials did not disclose the program's budget but said various government agencies will contribute money.

About 230,000 Mexicans were deported last year at the San Ysidro border crossing, Reynoso said.

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