Mexico has been successful in stopping nearly three times as many migrants crossing its southern border compared to a year ago, which has helped in reducing the surge in border crossings in the U.S. The Biden administration considers this increased cooperation with Mexico as evidence that their approach to managing migration is more effective than that of the Trump administration. The Mexican government is intercepting more migrants now than the U.S., with figures showing over 280,000 migrants being interdicted in Mexico and 189,000 in the U.S. in March. The high number of migrants being stopped in Mexico illustrates the potential chaos that could result at the U.S. border if Mexico’s interdiction efforts falter.
The Mexican government does not publicly disclose its migrant interdiction numbers, but it is known that many migrants are stopped at the Guatemala-Mexico border and returned to Guatemala, while others are bused to the southern end of Mexico where they cannot access U.S. asylum hearings. Certain groups like unaccompanied children and migrant families receive special protection under Mexican law that limits their deportation. The increased willingness of Mexico to interdict more migrants is attributed to increased dialogue between the U.S. and Mexico on various issues like immigration, fentanyl, and illegal firearms trafficking.
The Biden administration has focused on building a cooperative relationship with Mexico to address immigration and border issues. This approach differs from the Trump administration’s tactics, which included threats of tariffs and disruptions in trade to enforce policies like Remain in Mexico. Mexico has been interdicting hundreds of thousands of migrants each month as a result of this increased cooperation. Both President Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador have acknowledged the shared challenges of migration and have engaged in multiple conversations to discuss this issue.
Previous administrations, including those of George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump, have also worked with Mexico to address border and immigration issues. The Merida Initiative, launched during the Bush administration, focused on reducing violence and drug trafficking, while cooperation during the Obama administration expanded to combating transnational criminal organizations. The Trump administration prioritized reducing synthetic drug production and improving border security, including a deal with Mexico to fund deportations of migrants. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. and Mexico have announced a new security cooperation agreement called the Bicentennial Framework, which aims to prevent transborder crime by addressing human and arms trafficking, as well as illicit drug supply chains.
