In a move set to shape domestic and international affairs for the next few years, US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador have pledged to work on key issues at the US-Mexico border.
The two leaders, who met virtually on Wednesday, said that improving the security and border management, promoting economic development, and addressing the underlying causes of migration will be the main pillars of their collaboration.
López Obrador has expressed his desire to regulate immigration flows and ensure foreign investment in Mexico. For his part, Biden has vowed to relieve the stresses due to the US immigration system while simultaneously restoring a regular flow of legal immigration.
The pledge comes after tensions surrounding immigration at the US-Mexico border have grown since the Trump administration. The former president’s hardline immigration policies led to the 2019 border shutdown, where US troops were dispatched to the region.
The Biden-López Obrador pledge is emblematic of a shift in the US policy towards Mexico. Whereas the Trump administration used brinksmanship to manipulate the sea of issues at the border, Biden appears to have shifted towards a more diplomatic approach, seeking to tackle the issues through mutual understanding and collaboration.
In recent years, both Mexico and the US have faced increased pressure from MAGA Republicans to take a hard stance on immigration and border security and achieve results in the run-up to the 2024 election.
However, Biden and López Obrador have now offered a cooperative framework designed to address the needs of both countries in a constructive way.
By focused on returning to the negotiating tables, both leaders are seeking to alleviate desensitization to the border issue, reduce tensions between conservatives and liberals in both countries, and provide a more manageable solution that benefits everyone.
It remains to be seen if the Biden-López Obrador venture will be successful in tackling border issues and restoring a regular flow of legal immigration. But with both sides offering a cooperative approach to the issue, we can expect some meaningful progress to be made in the months ahead.
In a move set to shape domestic and international affairs for the next few years, US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador have pledged to work on key issues at the US-Mexico border.
The two leaders, who met virtually on Wednesday, said that improving the security and border management, promoting economic development, and addressing the underlying causes of migration will be the main pillars of their collaboration.
López Obrador has expressed his desire to regulate immigration flows and ensure foreign investment in Mexico. For his part, Biden has vowed to relieve the stresses due to the US immigration system while simultaneously restoring a regular flow of legal immigration.
The pledge comes after tensions surrounding immigration at the US-Mexico border have grown since the Trump administration. The former president’s hardline immigration policies led to the 2019 border shutdown, where US troops were dispatched to the region.
The Biden-López Obrador pledge is emblematic of a shift in the US policy towards Mexico. Whereas the Trump administration used brinksmanship to manipulate the sea of issues at the border, Biden appears to have shifted towards a more diplomatic approach, seeking to tackle the issues through mutual understanding and collaboration.
In recent years, both Mexico and the US have faced increased pressure from MAGA Republicans to take a hard stance on immigration and border security and achieve results in the run-up to the 2024 election.
However, Biden and López Obrador have now offered a cooperative framework designed to address the needs of both countries in a constructive way.
By focused on returning to the negotiating tables, both leaders are seeking to alleviate desensitization to the border issue, reduce tensions between conservatives and liberals in both countries, and provide a more manageable solution that benefits everyone.
It remains to be seen if the Biden-López Obrador venture will be successful in tackling border issues and restoring a regular flow of legal immigration. But with both sides offering a cooperative approach to the issue, we can expect some meaningful progress to be made in the months ahead.
