People camp as they wait to cross the border between Mexico and the United States in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on December 27, 2023. ( Christian Torres - Anadolu Agency )
MEXICO CITY
A US delegation met Wednesday with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to discuss the unprecedented flow of illegal immigrants on the border between their two countries and to identify ways to address challenges to border security.
Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Barcena welcomed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall ahead of their meeting with Lopez-Obrador and the Mexican Security Cabinet.
Lopez Obrador welcomed the US delegation's visit on his X account.
“We ask President (Joe) Biden to meet with Secretaries Antony Blinken, Alejandro Mayorkas and Presidential National Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall to directly address issues of economic cooperation, security and migration. Important agreements were reached for the benefit of our people and nations. Now more than ever, a good neighbor policy is essential," he said.
Outside the National Palace, where the meeting took place, Barcena briefed reporters on what had been discussed during the three hours of talks.
She said regular meetings will be held with the governments of the US, Guatemala and other South and Central American countries to address migration in the hemisphere.
"We are going to work together with Guatemala, with the countries of South America and Central America. That was what was really discussed," she said.
Barcena also noted the US government did not request changes in the country's current immigration policy or strengthening security measures.
Blinken also shared what was addressed in the meeting.
"As we made clear in Mexico City today, 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," he said on his X account.
The talks came as the biggest migrant caravan in more than a year is making its way through Mexico to the US border.
Around 8,000 migrants are en route, making it the largest US-bound caravan since June 2022.
The migrants, reportedly of 24 nationalities, entered through Chiapas state in southeastern Mexico and are heading for Mexico City.
Around 10,000 migrants have been apprehended daily at the southwest border this month, according to border patrol officials.
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