WASHINGTON – The United States and Mexico issued a joint statement on Thursday on the current immigration crisis that was full of platitudes and support for asylum seekers, but mentioned that no measures will be taken to stop a record wave of illegal immigration, and even alluded to the prospect of amnesty for those already here illegally.
Officials claimed that a three-hour meeting in Mexico City involving Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was a success, but the statement Thursday did not signal agreed upon measures to slow or stop the flood of asylum-seeking migrants.
“President López Obrador highlighted President Biden’s commitment to promoting regular, orderly and safe migration. “He highlighted the need to continue diplomatic and political engagement with all countries in the region, as well as invest in ambitious development programs throughout the hemisphere of the Americas,” the statement said.
“Both delegations highlighted the efforts that the Biden administration is carrying out through development assistance and humanitarian aid, as well as advancing new private investments in the region,” he added.
The statement continued to describe existing political programs and debates without announcing any new initiatives, saying instead that “[t]“The two delegations agreed to meet again in Washington in January 2024 to continue advancing our strong partnership on migration management.”
A Border Patrol officer directs migrants to transport vans on Christmas Eve near Lukeville, Arizona. REUTERS Many migrants who cross the border illegally are allowed to await asylum rulings in the United States.
A three-year surge in illegal crossings, which critics attribute to Biden’s policies, reached an all-time high with nearly 270,000 apprehensions in September alone and daily records topping 10,000 this month, as a single-party caravan of about 8,000 migrants moves forward. north through Mexico.
“The two countries reaffirmed their existing commitments to foster orderly, humane and regular migration,” the joint statement said, pledging to strengthen “our partnership to address the root causes of migration, such as poverty, inequality, democratic decline and violence”. , and for the initiative of both countries in favor of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.
“Ongoing cooperation also includes increased efforts to disrupt human smuggling and trafficking and criminal networks, and continuing work to promote legal rather than irregular migration pathways. Furthermore, both delegations agreed on the importance of maintaining and facilitating vital bilateral trade on our shared border.”
The statement also noted that U.S. and Mexican officials “discussed the benefit of regularizing the status of long-term undocumented Hispanic immigrants and DACA recipients, who are a vital part of the U.S. economy and society,” suggesting the Biden administration could try again. legislate a path to citizenship for both adult illegal immigrants and those brought to the United States as children.
Thousands of migrants are marching north through Mexico toward the U.S. border, along with record-breaking daily arrests. Juan Manuel Blanco/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The Biden administration had hinted at possible Mexican action to check railroads for migrants, but no new action was announced. REUTERS
Critics blasted the administration for a lack of progress.
“At a time when the United States is experiencing the worst border crisis in our nation’s history, it is unacceptable to hear the Biden Administration’s announcement that Secretaries Mayorkas and Blinken discussed amnesty for illegal immigrants with the president of Mexico.” , House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a statement.
“The United States must focus on policies that deter, not attract, people trying to come here illegally and smugglers profiting from the catastrophe at our border,” Johnson added. “This development demonstrates once again that the Administration has no real intention to resolve the humanitarian disaster and immediate national security crisis that its policies have created. “President Biden must stop taking vacations and take immediate action to stop the flow of illegal immigration into our country.”
“Continue your efforts?” Fox News Border reporter Bill Melugin wrote in X..
The migrants continued walking in a large caravan trying to reach the United States. border in Escuintla, Mexico, on Thursday. REUTERS Immigrants wait for the opportunity to cross the border in several areas of the southern border. fake images
“What efforts? Mexico is allowing chaos at the border by mass issuing humanitarian visas to migrants allowing them to travel. [Mexico] directly to the US border… then they discard visas on the ground when they cross illegally.”
However, Biden administration officials and the Mexican president posted upbeat summaries of the meetings on social media as Republicans criticized American emissaries for not pushing for a tougher deal.
Lopez Obrador published in X that “important agreements were reached for the benefit of our people and nations,” without giving any details.
to blink wrote“As we made clear today in Mexico City, 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.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador met on Wednesday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, of the center-right, and Secretary of National Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, of the center-left. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha
Mayorkas aggregate: “We had a very productive meeting with the President [López Obrador] and members of his Cabinet today in Mexico City. The regional challenge of migration requires regional solutions, and we appreciate Mexico’s commitment to continue its efforts alongside us and with others,”
Richard Grenell, former US ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence under President Donald Trump, questioned the vagueness of the statements.
“What was achieved? (Hello? DC reporters?)”, Grenell tweeted.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) suggested the talks were solely about election-year optics, writing“Biden finally feels pressure about the 2024 election, not the tens of thousands of lives ruined by fentanyl, trafficking and immigration crime.”
Former Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas), the first Mexican-born woman in Congress, wrote in X in response to Mayorkas that the increase in illegal crossings was “orchestrated.”
Migrants along the border have had to use foil blankets for warmth as the Border Patrol struggles to control the surge. Go Nakamura for the NY Post
Flores, who is running for Congress again in 2024, also tweeted: “There have already been more than 700,000 encounters of illegal immigrants on the southern border since October. December on track to set highest month ever recorded. “What has to happen for the Biden administration to secure our border?”
Meanwhile, other Biden administration officials described the meeting in Mexico City as a success, and a National Security Council spokesperson said Blinken and Mayorkas had enjoyed a “productive trip.”
“President López Obrador has taken important new law enforcement measures, but we have much more work to do together,” the representative added.
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“President Biden’s Cabinet will meet again with Mexican leaders in DC in January to assess progress and decide what more can be done. “We continue to address root causes and build legal pathways that incentivize orderly migration and enforcement of our laws.”
The NSC also did not specify any new compliance measures taken by Mexico, but may have been referring to the Obrador government saying last week that it had flown a plane full of migrants from northern Mexico to southern Mexico for repatriation to their countries. countries of origin.
It is unclear how many people were transported.
Polls show border policy is an electoral liability for Biden, who is expected to face a rematch against former President Donald Trump, who routinely boasts of coercing Mexican leaders to bolster border security through threats of tariffs.
A Harvard CAPS-Harris poll released Dec. 18 showed that 38% of registered voters approve of Biden’s handling of immigration, an eight-point drop from 46% in November.
López Obrador previously credited Biden for provoking the border crisis and said in 2021: “Come [Biden] as a migrant president, and many feel that they are going to arrive in the United States.”
On his first day as president, Biden halted construction of Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall. In June 2021, Biden scrapped Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy that required most asylum seekers arriving at the southern border to wait for decisions on their cases south of the Rio Grande.
Nearly 2.5 million people were apprehended after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023, which ended Sept. 30, in addition to some 670,000 “escapes” who evaded authorities.
There were nearly 2.4 million arrests in fiscal year 2022, following a record 1.7 million in fiscal year 2021.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has credited President Biden for inspiring the border crisis. SASHENKA GUTIERREZ/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Blinken described the meeting as a success despite the lack of a clear political achievement. AFP via Getty Images
Many people who cross the border illegally are allowed to enter the United States pending court rulings on their claims of persecution.
After an initial gap, asylum seekers are eligible for work permits as their applications go through a long-backlogged review system.
The Biden-era illegal immigration numbers are much higher than previous annual totals of illegal border crossings.
For example, in the last full year of President Barack Obama’s term in fiscal year 2016, there were 408,870 people arrested for illegally crossing the southern border.
Obama outraged immigration activists by regularly turning away people who crossed illegally, earning him the nickname “deporter in chief.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn