US and Mexican presidents discuss immigration restrictions

Joe Biden and Men Manuel Lopez Obrador discuss “unprecedented” immigration at the border via video call USA-Mexico, a “puzzle” for the US government before the November midterm elections.

This telephone contact, lasting more than 50 minutes, is indicative of the increasingly complex relations between the two neighboring countries in terms of trade, illegal and legal immigration, as well as drug trafficking.

“A large part of the discussion was about immigration and our ongoing co-operation, the measures that need to be taken to reduce immigration at the border, “said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

The White House assures that Biden wants to propose his desire to work with Obrador in contrast, he argues, with the approach taken by his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump. “Last year we worked very hard to rebuild our bilateral relationship,” a senior US official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

According to Psaki, “the tone of the talks was very constructive”. “It was not a phone call in which President Biden threatened the Mexican president in any way,” he said.

The already complicated border situation has returned to the forefront recently, with Biden’s stated intention to put an end to the so-called “Chapter 42”, a regulation that has allowed the Covid-19 pandemic to expel migrants arrested at the border. Opponents of the measure say it is no longer justified, but Republicans and some Democrats say lifting it would trigger an uncontrollable wave of immigration. Even without the restrictions being lifted, the U.S. Border Patrol is arresting an average of 7,800 immigrants every day for the past three weeks, five times the 1,600 recorded in the 2014-19 pre-pandemic period.

Both parties agree that the problem is real. But the White House is talking about a failed immigration system, which is left to Congress to correct, while Republicans accuse Biden of failing to protect the country’s southern borders.

Source: News Beast

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