US officials press Mexican president to help stem tide of migrants at border

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

WITH AN ONGOING CRISIS AT THE BORDER, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS PRESSING THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT FOR HELP. 

U.S. AND MEXICAN LEADERS STRATEGIZED IMMIGRATION SOLUTIONS AS MIGRANT ENTRIES INTO THE U.S. REACHED UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN AND HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS MET WITH MEXICO’S PRESIDENT LOPEZ OBRADOR ON WEDNESDAY IN MEXICO CITY.

THEY’RE ASKING MEXICO TO STEM THE TIDE OF MIGRANTS FLOWING THROUGH THE COUNTRY FROM GUATEMALA – AS ANOTHER CARAVAN COMPRISED OF THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS TREKS TOWARDS THE U.S.

IN A POST ON X, BLINKEN SAID IN PART: “WE ARE COMMITTED TO PARTNERING WITH MEXICO TO ADDRESS OUR SHARED CHALLENGES, INCLUDING MANAGING UNPRECEDENTED IRREGULAR MIGRATION IN THE REGION, REOPENING KEY PORTS OF ENTRY, AND COMBATING ILLICIT FENTANYL AND OTHER SYNTHETIC DRUGS”

IN EXCHANGE, MEXICO’S PRESIDENT OBRADOR SAYS KEY BORDER CROSSINGS WILL OPEN BACK UP – AFTER BORDER OFFICIALS SHUT DOWN RAIL CROSSINGS IN TEXAS AND ARIZONA EARLIER THIS MONTH – DISRUPTING COMMERCE OPERATIONS FOR BOTH THE U.S. AND MEXICO.

OBRADOR ALSO WANTS THE U.S. CONGRESS TO PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES AND OFFER AID TO MIGRANTS IN LATIN AMERICA.

BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT – MEXICAN AUTHORITIES HAD CLEARED OUT A BORDER CAMP – KNOWN TO HOUSE ABOUT 1500 MIGRANTS NEXT TO THE RIO GRANDE – ACCORDING TO ABC NEWS.

THE TALKS COME AMID GROWING PRESSURE FROM REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, PUSHING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO ACT ON THE BORDER..

IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 – US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL RECORDED A TOTAL OF 2.4 MILLION MIGRANT APPREHENSIONS, COMPARED TO JUST OVER 646,000 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 – UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND NEARLY 340,000 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015 UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA.

AND THIS MONTH, IN DECEMBER ALONE – CBP OFFICIALS SAY THEY’RE SEEING AN AVERAGE OF 10,000 MIGRANT CROSSINGS EACH DAY AT THE U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER.

BORDER STATES LIKE TEXAS HAVE TAKEN MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.

TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT SIGNED “SENATE BILL 4” INTO LAW THIS MONTH. STARTING IN MARCH OF 2024 – THE LAW ALLOWS TEXAS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ARREST MIGRANTS FOR ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO THE STATE FROM MEXICO – AND WILL GRANT LOCAL JUDGES THE AUTHORITY TO ORDER MIGRANTS TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY.

(GOV. GREG ABBOTT)

“THE BORDER PATROL RECENTLY WARNED TO TAKE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN IT LEARNED THAT 10 IEDS WERE FOUND JUST ACROSS THE BORDER. THE FBI DIRECTOR WARNED THAT THE BORDER POSES A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARED THAT THE BORDER BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO IS THE DEADLIEST LAND CROSSING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD BIDEN’S DELIBERATE INACTION HAS LEFT TEXAS TO FEND FOR ITSELF.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

SINCE 2021 – TEXAS LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS ARRESTED 10,000 MIGRANTS UNDER ABBOTT’S “ARREST AND JAIL” OPERATION: WHICH HAPPENS WHEN LANDOWNERS ALONG THE BORDER GIVE THE STATE THE POWER TO APPREHEND MIGRANTS WHO ENTER THE U-S THROUGH THEIR PROPERTIES.  

ABBOTT HAS ALSO SENT MORE THAN 80,000 MIGRANTS TO DEMOCRATIC-LED SO-CALLED SANCTUARY CITIES – SUCH AS CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA, DENVER, WASHINGTON D.C. AND NEW YORK CITY.

ON WEDNESDAY, NEW YORK CITY’S MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER – REQUIRING CHARTERED BUSES FROM TEXAS CARRYING MIGRANTS INTO THE CITY – TO ANNOUNCE 32 HOURS IN ADVANCE WHEN THEY’LL BE DROPPING OFF MIGRANTS.

(MAYOR ERIC ADAMS)

“WE CANNOT ALLOW BUSES WITH PEOPLE NEEDING OUR HELP TO ARRIVE WITHOUT WARNING AT ANY HOUR OF DAY AND NIGHT. THIS NOT ONLY PREVENTS US FROM PROVIDING ASSISTANCE IN ORDERLY WAYS, IT PUTS THOSE WHO’VE ALREADY SUFFERED SO MUCH IN DANGER.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

MAYOR ADAMS – ALONG WITH MAYOR JOHNSON OF CHICAGO HAVE CALLED ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES FOR THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS THAT HAVE SHOWN UP IN THEIR CITIES.

AND GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAS CALLED ON THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO SECURE THE US SOUTHERN BORDER.