Mexico's president aims for an accord enabling the dispatch of deportees straight to their homelands by the US.
Following the reveal of President Joe Biden's executive order preventing individuals who illegally cross the US-Mexico border from seeking asylum during periods of high illegal crossings, people who don't meet specific exemptions will either be sent back to Mexico or their homelands. The new rule allows for continued normal commerce and legal immigration.
Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, shared his thoughts on the matter, saying he hopes for a direct agreement with the US to send deported individuals back to the US directly. He doesn't foresee Mexican border towns being overwhelmed, but questions why a direct agreement wasn't considered first.
During their Tuesday phone call, Biden and López Obrador had a respectful and amicable conversation about supporting Latin American nations.
An unseen barrier
Despite some believing that Biden's extensive migration policy isn't strong enough to address the wave of people arriving at the US southern border, others warn that preventing asylum seekers from entering the US could jeopardize vulnerable people.
In effect, the new rule could be seen as creating an invisible wall, as it leaves thousands of refugees, who are currently in Mexico, unable to reach the US for asylum.
Tonatiuh Guillén, a UNAM professor and former National Migration Institute of Mexico commissioner, explained to CNN that the plan creates a "virtual wall" by putting migrants in a position where they'll be turned away, making their situation more challenging. Thousands of people might be left with no shelter if this measure gets implemented.
Mexican authorities remain skeptical about the potential consequences, as a COMAR source noted that the increased number of refugees at the northern border of Mexico rarely considers applying for asylum in Mexico.
López Obrador's favorite part of the call was the US's plan to construct three additional border bridges. He believes this development will benefit economic and commercial growth in the region.
