BORDER CONTROL: Mexico Cracks Down On Illegal Immigration By Shutting Border With Guatemala
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
While Democrats and Republicans battle over what to do about the United States' southern border — particularly over whether to fully fund President Donald Trump's signature project, a full-scale border wall — the newly elected Mexican government is taking drastic steps to curb illegal immigration in their own country, cutting off passage across their own southern border.
In a move that will likely shock pro-immigration activists, Mexico's new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and his administration have agreed to close the border between Mexico and Guatemala, largely to prevent more migrant caravans from crossing into Mexico's southern states.
According to The Washington Times , a Mexican Interior Minister told media that border security “is no longer an issue.”
“Do you know why it is no longer an issue? Because in five days this administration solved the issue, five days,” she continued. “The United States was impressed.”
In addition, the Mexican government is reportedly promoting a "Christmas at Home" campaign, The Washington Times reports, encouraging migrants already camping out at the U.S.-Mexico border to board free transportation back to their homelands so that they can spend the holidays with their families.
The change in Mexican immigration policy seems to the be the result of two recent developments: one, a conversation that newly-elected President Obrador had with President Donald Trump to discuss "migration and job creation," according to the Toronto Star , and public opinion in Tijuana, where migrants are camped out at an official U.S. border crossing, waiting their turn to declare asylum and enter the United States as refugees.
Residents of Tijuana are having a difficult time handling the influx of refugees. The Guardian reports that conditions have gotten so bad that Tijuana residents have launched a series of protests begging the government to consider native Mexicans first before providing aid to members of the migrant caravan. So far, migrants have been housed at a soccer stadium in town, but Tijuana residents say they are spreading filth and leaving garbage all over one of Mexico's top tourist cities, making the town nearly uninhabitable.
The Guardian puts the count of migrants staying in Tijuana at between 3,000 and 7,000. The line to request asylum at an official border crossing is nearly 10,000 names.
Mexican authorities say they want to head off these types of problems, greatly limiting the number of people who can enter Mexico along its southern border. The Mexican government hasn't specified how they intend to stop the migrant caravans, but one solution may be to direct all traffic from Guatemala into Mexico across a single bridge.
"In the south there will be only one entry, on the bridge,” one Mexican border enforcement agent told media. “Anyone who wants to enter illegally, we are going to say: ‘Get in line and you can enter our country.'”
The border control policy doesn't come free for the United States, however. The Toronto Star reports that Mexico is asking for help in creating a "Central American jobs program," that will help the residents of developing nations like El Salvador and Guatemala find opportunities at home, rather than seeking them abroad. Mexico is looking for a U.S. commitment of approximately $20 billion dollars — no small ask.
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omg that's awesome.
Outstanding! About time Mexico did something like this!
They were kind of forced into it. Now that US immigration laws are actually being enforced they understand the situation in Tijuana is the new norm and the fact of the matter is they don't want illegals staying there either...
unlike American politicians who saw cheap labor.
Like Trump having undocumented workers at his resorts and on his construction crews?
Deflection.
about time they were forced to do something like this...
with our borders being enforced mexico gets stuck with paying for those people instead of us.
Sounds like Mexico got tired of having feral cats
"The Toronto Star reports that Mexico is asking for help in creating a "Central American jobs program, " that will help the residents of developing nations like El Salvador and Guatemala find opportunities at home, rather than seeking them abroad."
Ummmmm…. the 51st and 52nd States ?
We already send "THOSE" places money...… and they squander it away, just like Mexico does.
Help with the problem. It is a good start. This is what can happen when people we pay to solve problems actually put their heads together instead of "pinging" soundbites off each other! What is that sound we are hearing from Mexico? Relief. Something this simple can actually work/help! Kudos to the leaders who are making it happen—whoever they are! I'll be watching this space!