Blinken visits Mexico in search of measures to stop migration

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken came to Mexico this Wednesday in hopes of showing progress in the fight against the growing immigrationone of the president’s main headaches Joe Biden to get re-election in 2024.

The visit of the head of American diplomacy, unusual in that it took place during Christmas week, was abruptly scheduled, at a time when the Republican Party is putting pressure on Biden to adopt measures against migration in exchange for its congressmen approving new aid for Ukraine.

Around 10,000 migrants, according to US authorities, try to enter without permission every day through the southern borderalmost double than before the pandemic.

Washington has closed some steps of the border with Mexico to focus their efforts on the entry of migrants.

The Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obradorspoke by phone last week about this topic with Bidenwho agreed to send Blinken.

The Secretary of State disembarked in the Mexican capital with the Secretary of National securityAlejandro Mayorkas, and the official of migration of the White House, Liz Sherwood.

“We are helping a lot, we are going to continue doing it and we want to reach an agreement because also as there are elections in USA the immigration issue is going to be encouraged“said the Mexican president this Wednesday prior to his meeting with US officials at the National Palace.

The spokesperson for the State Department, Matthew Miller, announced that the US delegation will discuss with López Obrador the “urgent need for legal avenues and additional actions” regarding migration.

Mexico agreed with both Biden and his predecessor, the Republican donald trumphost, at least temporarily, migrants trying to enter USA.

Trump, favorite for the Republican nomination to face Biden In the November 2024 presidential elections, he is campaigning with an anti-immigration message, accusing foreigners of “poisoning the blood” of the country, Hitler’s own words, his critics noted.

Republicans refuse to support a new financial aid package for Ukraine in Congress if measures are not taken to stop the migration.

The government of Biden has warned that without an agreement, Ukraine will soon be left without the weapons necessary to defend itself from the Russian invasion.

The Government’s proposal to convince Republicans includes increasing Border Patrol agents by 1,300.

“There is no magic wand”

Andrew Rudman, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, believes that Blinken will seek an agreement with Lopez Obrador to take measures, such as granting them work permits, and thus keep migrants in Mexico.

“The government of Biden He wants to show that he is doing everything possible” to stop migration, he said. “One of the challenges is that everyone wants a short-term solution to a long-term global problem.“, but “there is no magic wand”.

“Most of these people migrate because they believe that life for them will be better in USA“, he claimed.

A large part of the migrants come from Central America, although in recent months the number of Venezuelans and Haitians has increased, fleeing the poverty and violence that ravage their countries.

A caravan of thousands of migrants left on Sunday from southern Mexico faced with the impossibility of obtaining a permit that allows them to cross the country to reach USA.

María Alicia Ulloa, a Honduran who is part of this caravan, asked American and Mexican officials meeting Wednesday to find ways to help the migrantssince the situation in their countries of origin “It is also critical”.

Ulloa expressed his fear that the two countries will tighten immigration measures, as this could cause him to return to his country, devastated by the unemployment.

“We emigrate with the hope of giving a better life to our children, and a better life to the family members who are left behind.”.