High-Level US-Mexico Discussions on Rising Migrant Flow at Border

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A senior American delegation is scheduled to confer with the Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Wednesday. This meeting is perceived as an effort to encourage Mexico to intensify its actions against the escalating number of migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border.

President López Obrador has expressed his readiness to assist. However, he also emphasized his desire for advancements in U.S. dealings with Cuba and Venezuela, notable sources of migration, alongside increased developmental aid for the region.

Both nations are under considerable pressure to formulate a successful agreement, especially after previous measures such as restricting direct entry into Mexico or deporting migrants proved ineffective in curbing the migrant wave. Reports indicate that up to 10,000 migrants per day have been detained this month at the U.S. southwest border.

The United States has faced challenges in processing the influx of migrants at the border and accommodating them in northern cities. The situation intensified last week when the U.S. temporarily shut down two critical railway crossings in Texas, reallocating border patrol agents to manage the migrant surge.

Furthermore, another non-rail border crossing in Lukeville, Arizona, remains closed, with partial suspensions in San Diego and Nogales, Arizona. These closures, according to U.S. officials, were necessary to redistribute staff to assist in migrant processing.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has suggested that these border crossings might reopen if Mexico offers additional support. “Secretary Blinken will explore solutions to the unparalleled irregular migration in the Western Hemisphere and discuss collaborative strategies for border security challenges with Mexico, including measures that could lead to the reopening of essential border entry points,” his office declared before Wednesday’s meeting.

Mexico has already deployed over 32,000 military and National Guard personnel, nearly 11% of its total force, to enforce immigration laws. The National Guard now apprehends more migrants than criminals. However, this approach’s limitations were evident on Tuesday when National Guard officers did not intercept a caravan of approximately 6,000 migrants, predominantly from Central America and Venezuela, as they passed through Mexico’s main inland immigration checkpoint in Chiapas, near the Guatemala border.

In previous instances, Mexico allowed such caravans to pass, hoping they would exhaust themselves on the long journey. No caravan has ever traversed the entire 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) to the U.S. border. However, strategies like forcing migrants to trek through the jungle-clad Darien Gap or detaining them from passenger buses in Mexico are no longer effective.

Migrants have found alternate routes. The number of migrants boarding freight trains through Mexico has surged to the extent that one of the nation’s major railroad companies suspended services in September due to safety concerns.

The U.S. delegation may propose more assertive measures, such as police raids to remove migrants from railway cars, reminiscent of actions Mexico undertook a decade ago.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall will also participate in the discussions.

The U.S. has demonstrated that border issues quickly become a mutual concern. The closures of Texas railways significantly disrupted freight movement between Mexico and the U.S., affecting both countries’ economies.

President López Obrador acknowledged U.S. demands for more stringent controls at Mexico’s southern border and the impeding of migrant transport via trains, trucks, or buses. In return, he seeks more developmental aid for migrant-origin countries and a reduction or elimination of sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela.

“We are committed to helping and facilitating agreements with other nations, particularly Venezuela, in this context,” stated López Obrador. He also called for addressing U.S.-Cuba relations, proposing a bilateral dialogue between the two countries.

“This meeting isn’t solely about containment strategies,” he added. “We are looking at a broader dialogue.”

According to Mexican authorities, about 680,000 migrants were detected traversing through Mexico in the first 11 months of 2023.

In May, Mexico consented to accept migrants from countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, who the U.S. had turned away for not adhering to new legal procedures for asylum and other migration forms.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about US-Mexico border talks

More about US-Mexico border talks

• US-Mexico Border Talks Overview
• Strategies for Managing Migrant Surge
• Economic Impact of Border Closures
• US-Mexico Relations and Diplomacy
• Mexico’s Military and National Guard Deployment
• Migrant Caravan Challenges in Mexico
• US and Mexico’s Collaborative Border Security Plans
• History of US-Mexico Immigration Policies
• Impact of US Policy on Cuba and Venezuela
• Global Migration Trends and Responses