Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are in Mexico to meet with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador about what can help curb mass migration on the southern border.
However, this unfolds as a migrant caravan from Mexico heads to the border. Reports about 6,000 people make up the caravan. Most of the migrants in the group are from Central America, Venezuela and Cuba, with some from Bangladesh and other countries.
Many have been in Tapachula for months, demanding legal documents to transit through Mexico. This comes amid an influx of border crossings.
CBP sources confirmed to that 250,000 migrants were encountered in December. That’s on pace to break the previous record of 269,735 set in September and is already more than the 242,000 seen in November.
I spoke to Congressman Tony Gonzales, a Republican who represents Eagle Pass and El Paso. While he applauds the administration’s efforts with the upcoming trip, he believes the caravans will also continue.
“These massive caravans of thousands of people will continue to disrupt both Mexico and the United States, and until they stop, you’re only going to see this border crisis get fueled even further […] that should be a discussion that should be on the table,” he said.
The majority of migrants are crossing through Arizona’s Tucson sector. In second place is the Del Rio sector in Texas.
Mexico’s president said just last week that he was willing to work with the U.S. but also urged the Biden administration to ease sanctions in both Cuba and Venezuela, which is where about 20% of migrants that have been encountered are coming from.
With all this in mind, Border Patrol agents and lawmakers tell they expect the meeting between Mayorkas, Blinken and Obrador to just be a dog-and-pony show. It’s anticipated the two parties will reaffirm their commitment to the Los Angeles Declaration of Migration and Protection.
“I don’t think this meeting is about reinstituting a level of deterrence in the United States. Both President Obrador and President Biden are for open borders via expanded pathways,” former Secret Service agent Charles Marino. “I think if you look at the policies of the two countries, they are aligned, and they’re built around open borders and processing as many migrants into the country as possible.”
