Biden discussed strengthening cooperation to control migration with Mexican president
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to discuss the need for increased cooperation to manage the “unprecedented migration” seen in the region, the White House said.
“The two leaders discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship, including the importance of strengthening cooperation between the United States and Mexico to manage the unprecedented migration in the region,” the release said.
In addition, Biden and Obrador discussed the importance of reducing congestion near the border in northern Mexico and reaffirmed their intention to address the “root causes” of the flow of migrants from Central America.
In addition to the problem of migration, the two presidents also touched on the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms trafficking.
As the media reported earlier from the scene, hundreds of migrants illegally crossed the border between Mexico and the U.S. on Friday, flooding into El Paso, Texas, in anticipation of the expiration of the mandatory expulsion legislation.
In the United States, a “Title 42” provision introduced under former President Donald Trump’s administration that allowed authorities to expel migrants arriving from regions with a high risk of contracting the coronavirus expires on May 11. Against this backdrop, it became known that the federal government had decided to deploy 1,500 military personnel to the border with Mexico.
An all-time record number of migrants arrived at the southern border of the United States under the Biden administration. In 2021 and 2022, the number of illegal refugees broke records, exceeding 2.3 million people.