Mexican President Demands $20 Billion in U.S. Aid In Talks on Illegal Immigration

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Mexico City, Mexico - Negotiations intensify as both nations outline priorities in addressing record migrant flows. In a recent negotiations aimed at addressing the escalating challenge of illegal immigration, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has presented a set of conditions for aiding the United States. The Biden administration, increasingly reliant on Mexico's cooperation to manage the surge, is now confronted with ambitious demands from its southern neighbor.

Insiders familiar with discussions between the two governments disclosed that the Biden administration approached Mexico seeking collaboration in controlling the migrant surge during meetings held in late December. However, these discussions resulted in preliminary conversations with no concrete commitments from either side.

During a press conference on Friday, President López Obrador outlined Mexico's requests, including the approval of a plan deploying $20 billion to Latin American and Caribbean countries. Additionally, the Mexican leader called for the suspension of the U.S. blockade of Cuba, the removal of sanctions against Venezuela, and the issuance of work visas to at least 10 million Hispanics residing in the U.S. for over a decade.

These demands come at a crucial juncture for the Biden administration, grappling with a surge that led to a record 300,000 migrants being processed by Customs and Border Protection in December. Responding to these requests, a senior Biden administration official acknowledged López Obrador's ambitious agenda, mentioning that some proposed actions would necessitate congressional approval. The official added, "We share the vision that we need to lift up the region."

Negotiations are set to resume later this month in Washington, with Mexico holding significant leverage due to President Biden's reliance on support to address the border crisis, which is impacting his approval ratings. The pressure is heightened by ongoing negotiations on border security measures in Congress, with no clear breakthrough in sight.

To effectively manage the surge, the Biden administration is depending on Mexico to permit the pushback of non-Mexican immigrants crossing the U.S. southern border, a strategy successfully employed until early 2023. The administration is also seeking increased enforcement on Mexico's southern border with Guatemala and a commitment to deport more migrants apprehended within Mexico.

In return, Mexico is requesting more financial aid for border policing and emphasizing the importance of addressing the root causes of migration by investing in programs to alleviate poverty in Central and South American countries. While discussions also touch on issues like fentanyl smuggling, the primary focus appears to be on immigration, sidelining other talks for the time being.

Policies such as Title 42, which allowed the U.S. to push migrants back into Mexico during the Covid pandemic, and Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy have left Mexico with depleted resources and a reluctance to accommodate more migrants than its cities can handle.

Immigration takes center stage, and the negotiations carry potential negative implications for the U.S. and Mexico relationship and the Biden administration's handling of the border crisis.

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