In recent years, migrants have been crossing the U.S. southern border in record numbers, prompting President Biden to seek help from Mexico’s President López Obrador in December. Mexico subsequently strengthened enforcement, resulting in a significant drop in illegal border crossings by January. While the White House has publicly portrayed its diplomacy as successful, some senior Biden officials privately feel that López Obrador is not doing enough to control his country’s southern border and crack down on smugglers bringing migrants to the United States.
During his presidency, Donald Trump used the threat of tariffs to pressure López Obrador into cracking down on migration. In contrast, Biden has taken a different approach, focusing on maintaining a cooperative relationship with López Obrador. Despite Mexico’s increased enforcement efforts, the number of migrants arriving at the border remains high. Mexico attributes this to factors such as poverty, violence, climate change, and the backlog in the U.S. asylum system, which incentivizes migrants to seek refuge in the United States.
The Mexican government has implemented various measures to address the migrant crisis, including adding immigration checkpoints, increasing enforcement personnel, and detaining more migrants. However, smugglers often evade these checkpoints, leading migrants to take riskier routes through the desert. The authorities in Tijuana have intensified their crackdown, but it has only pushed migrants into greater danger. Aid groups report that migrants are often left dehydrated and lost in the desert after being dropped off by smugglers.
The White House has urged Mexico to increase deportations, implement visa restrictions, and bolster security forces at its southern border. Mexico has made efforts to deport migrants and repatriate them to their home countries but faces legal barriers and logistical challenges. Deportations from Mexico have decreased significantly, and the government struggles to negotiate the return of migrants with other countries within legal timeframes. Additionally, Mexico’s practice of transporting migrants away from the border to remote cities in the south has been criticized as inhumane.
Despite the challenges faced by both countries, President López Obrador continues to emphasize the importance of addressing the root causes of migration in Latin America. He has called for increased development aid to address issues that drive people to leave their countries. While the U.S. and Mexico have collaborated on immigration enforcement efforts, the issue remains complex and multifaceted. The White House and Mexican government continue to work together to address the ongoing migration crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border.
