Presidents Joe Biden and Andrés Manuel López Obrador, of the United States and Mexico respectively, discussed the challenges of their joint border in a phone call this Saturday. The leaders promised to maintain collaborative efforts
“Biden expressed his gratitude for Mexico’s operational support and for taking concrete measures to deter irregular migration and, at the same time, expand legal avenues,” the White House reported in a statement.
In the conversation, the leaders pledged to intensify their fight against criminal organizations that traffic drugs, weapons and people. In 2023, there was an unprecedented migratory flow to the United States, with up to 6,000 migrants daily arriving at Mexico’s southern border, according to the International Organization for Migration.
At the same time, protests broke out in the border states of California and Texas, orchestrated by a conservative group that opposes undocumented migration and President Biden’s immigration policies, the Efe news agency noted.
These tensions reflect the current challenges posed by cross-border movements and the divisive reactions they provoke within destination countries.
Against undocumented migrants
Hundreds of people demonstrated this Saturday in two border towns between the United States and Mexico in protests orchestrated by the conservative group “Let’s take back our border.”
Speaking out against undocumented immigration and President Joe Biden’s policies on foreign entrants, the group, with more than 1,600 followers on Telegram, called on its so-called “Army of God” to protest in both California and Texas.
At least 500 protesters gathered near the border port of San Ysidro (California), a few kilometers from Mexico, to participate in these coordinated demonstrations.
Mainly supporters of former President Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term, attended the rally waving American flags and messages in favor of the Republican. Ceci Truman, Latina congressional candidate for California’s 25th district in the Imperial Valley, near San Diego, told the Efe agency that the country is experiencing an “invasion” of immigrants.
“While the Border Patrol reports up to 10 million encounters with illegal immigrants at the border, that number easily doubles in reality, since as we know a similar number of migrants pass through without being detained,” he said.
Activists traveled to the US-Mexico border in a caravan from Los Angeles, raising concerns about the militarized approach to immigration enforcement. Lidia, a participant, criticized this method to Efe for considering it ineffective.
Meanwhile, in Texas, the group “Take Back Our Border” gathered about 1,500 people in Quemado, near Eagle Pass, to highlight the dangers posed by open borders, specifically drug and human trafficking.
The rally called for immediate action to address these issues, following recent actions by Governor Greg Abbott, including taking over a public park and establishing buoy barriers in the Rio Grande.
Keep reading:
• Number of detainees in US immigration jails reached its highest point in the Joe Biden era
• They denounce an increase in threats and violence against migrants in Ciudad Juárez and El Paso
• López Obrador asked “not to vote for any candidate” in the United States who is against Mexico