By Raul Castillo
May 2, 2024, 7:42 PM EDT
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, categorically rejected this Thursday any suggestion that his government has toughened its immigration policies due to pressure from the United States, either from current president Joe Biden or former president Donald Trump.
“I don’t let myself be pressured by anyone,” López Obrador emphasized during his morning conference, highlighting the independence of Mexico and its government. He affirmed that Mexico acts freely and that he is not a puppet of any foreign government.
These statements emerged after a joint statement issued with Biden last Monday, in which they agreed to work together to reduce irregular border crossings and protect human rights, according to the EFE agency.
Despite denying any external pressure, the Mexican president admitted that his country does cooperate with the United States due to their status as neighboring countries, with a border of more than 3,000 kilometers. He recognized the importance of this collaboration, but also highlighted the need not to lose the independence and sovereignty of Mexico.
López Obrador mentioned that migration is a relevant political issue, especially this year with the presidential elections in Mexico and the United States, after a year with a record migratory flow in 2023.
Criticizes American politicians
In this sense, he criticized American politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, for using the immigration issue for electoral purposes instead of addressing the underlying causes. He referred to promises to build walls and militarize the border as electoral strategies without actually addressing the problem.
“And since there are now elections, everyone there is talking about how they are going to build walls, that they are going to militarize the border, blaming each other,” he said, according to EFE.
The Mexican president highlighted as an achievement of the new immigration policies the reduction of irregular migration on the border with the United States by more than 50%, going from about 12,000 daily encounters of undocumented immigrants in December to 5,812 in April, according to data presented by he.
Despite these advances, López Obrador emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant, since the immigration issue will continue to be politically relevant during the presidential campaign.
Regarding the deployment of the Armed Forces on the borders, with nearly 30,000 members dedicated to immigration tasks, the president commented that politics involves choosing between different options, considering the drawbacks and benefits of each decision.
Keep reading:
– Biden says he has a good relationship with the president of Mexico, for being a man who “keeps his word”
– Migrants will increasingly arrive at the border between Mexico and the United States before the presidential elections
– López Obrador recognizes that it is “advantageous” for Mexico to integrate with the US but with “respect”