The United States is negotiating with Mexico to limit immigration

Starting Wednesday, the US government delegation headed by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will discuss reducing illegal border crossings into the United States in Mexico. In addition to the Secretary of State, the delegation includes Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood Randall, who is also scheduled to meet with Mexican President Manuel Lopez Obrador, according to initial plans.

The US government wants to limit the number of migrants heading to the US through Mexico, and is asking the neighboring southern country for help. President Joe Biden announced the visit last week after a phone conversation with the President of Mexico. In recent weeks, a record number of migrants have entered the United States illegally, forcing authorities to close official border crossings and railway bridges.

Before the start of formal negotiations, officials at the US Department of Homeland Security reported that they would present several proposals to Mexican partners that would reduce pressure on the US border. Among them, they mentioned moving migrants south, keeping them in Mexico, and stricter control of the railways used by migrants.

In the United States, which is preparing for the presidential elections, the immigration crisis represented by the increase in illegal border crossings has become a leading political issue, and according to polls, it is a factor that significantly reduces the popularity of President Joe Biden. According to Republicans, the lenient immigration policy pursued by the Democratic administration has led to the crisis situation, and they expect a final amendment to it. Among other things, they link their contribution to further military and economic support for Ukraine.

Mexican President Manuel Lopez Obrador after announcing his visit to the United States.

The number of illegal border crossings at the southern U.S. border has continued to increase since the start of fiscal year 2024 in October. According to data from the Federal Border Patrol (CBP), the number of detained migrants exceeded 240,000 per month in October and November, a historic record for those months.

After submitting an asylum application, a large proportion of detained and registered migrants can remain freely in the country through a so-called conditional release decision, with the requirement to inform the immigration authorities on time. According to press reports, there are and are currently moving thousands of migrant caravans in Mexico north, towards the United States, where, in addition to Latin America, there are many African and Asian nationals.

For negotiators in the European Parliament and the Council They recently managed to reach an agreement on the Migration and Asylum Charter. The agreement affects all stages of asylum and migration administration, from screening irregular migrants upon their arrival in the EU, collecting biometric data, procedures for submitting and processing asylum applications, and determining which Member State is responsible for examining them. Asylum applications, and stipulates cooperation and solidarity between member states and how to deal with crisis situations, including the use of migrants as tools.