Blinken, Mayorkas to visit Mexico, meet with president to discuss surge at border

[KARAH RUCKER]

SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN AND SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS WILL BE TRAVELING TO MEXICO. THEIR JOB — TALK TO MEXICO’S PRESIDENT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BETTER ADDRESS AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF MIGRANTS AT THE BORDER.

TOP OFFICIALS IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WILL BE VISITING MEXICO IN THE COMING DAYS. THEIR PLANNED TRIP COMES AFTER PRESIDENT BIDEN SPOKE WITH MEXICO’S PRESIDENT ON THURSDAY. BOTH SIDES AGREEING “MORE” IS URGENTLY NEEDED TO BETTER CONTAIN A SURGE IN ILLEGAL MIGRATION.

ACCORDING TO WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS, THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL DECIDE WHAT “ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS” CAN BE TAKEN IMMEDIATELY.

EVERY DAY, THE NUMBER OF MIGRANTS IN THE U.S. GROWS BY THE THOUSANDS.
IN EAGLE PASS, TEXAS, MIGRANTS FIND THEMSELVES IN LONG LINES WAITING TO BE PROCESSED. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SAY MORE THAN 12 THOUSAND MIGRANTS ENTERED THE U.S. PER DAY, FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS — THE HIGHEST DAILY NUMBERS EVER RECORDED.

ANOTHER RECORD, THE NUMBER OF MIGRANTS IN U.S. CUSTODY. MORE THAN 27 THOUSAND. BORDER OFFICIALS SAYING MOST WILL BE RELEASED INTO THE U.S. AFTER BEING PROCESSED. WHERE THOSE MIGRANTS GO AFTER BEING PROCESSED IS OFTEN UP TO THEM.

WITH TEXAS BORDER COMMUNITIES OVERWHELMED, TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT HAS SENT DOZENS OF BUSES AND PLANES FULL OF MIGRANTS TO “SANCTUARY CITIES” OUTSIDE OF HIS STATE THIS YEAR. THE LATEST – HAPPENING THIS WEEK, 100 MIGRANTS BOARDED A PLANE IN SOUTH TEXAS. DESTINATION – CHICAGO.
TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS LIKE THIS ONE BY TEXAS ARE FAR FROM CREATING A DENT IN HANDLING THE BORDER CRISIS.

SOME PORTS OF ENTRY AT THE BORDER ARE CLOSED BECAUSE CERTAIN SECTORS ARE OVERRUN. INTERNATIONAL RAILWAYS ARE ALSO BEING SUSPENDED TEMPORARILY. THE UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF MIGRANTS IMPACTING NORMAL OPERATIONS AT THE BORDER. ADDING TO THE PRESSURE ON THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AS TOP OFFICIALS PREPARE FOR THEIR MEETING WITH MEXICO.