Mexico asks for border crossings to reopen during Blinken visit
- U.S. officials went to Mexico to talk about curbing the flow of migrants
- Blinken and Mayorkas met with Mexico's president during the trip
- Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena: 'Reopening border crossings is a priority'
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(NewsNation) — Mexico pressed U.S. officials to reopen border crossings during a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena said Wednesday, as U.S. officials sought assistance to stem “irregular migration.”
President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking help from Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador’s government to reduce migrant flows and cope with record numbers of people trying to reach the U.S. border, a key issue ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.
Barcena said “the importance of reopening border crossings is a priority” for Mexico. “We are talking about the economic part, as well as the structural causes of migration,” she told reporters after the meetings.
Blinken and Mayorkas traveled to Mexico to discuss how to stem the flow of migrants to America’s southern border. The State Department said the American side will focus on how Mexico can be a partner for additional enforcement at the shared border.
December migrant encounters at the southern border are on track to exceed the number seen in November by 30%, sources confirmed to NewsNation. In the first 17 days of November, CBP encountered roughly 130,000 migrants. During the first 17 days of December, meanwhile, CBP reported 37,000 more, or about 167,000 total.
López Obrador said last week Mexico will ramp up its enforcement efforts at its border with Guatemala and will continue to seek agreements between Mexico and other countries to manage the flow of migrants.
