The Biden administration is urging Mexico to help stem the influx of migrants at the southern border.
US President Joe Biden has few other policy options to deal with the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Texas and other border states.
But his new approach has strained ties with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who previously played a crucial role in implementing some of former President Trump’s strictest border policies — under the threat of import tariffs.
Adam Isacson, director of defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, told the press, "[President Biden] is undoubtedly hoping Mexico will do something that pushes the numbers down for a few months at least.”
In December, the US Border Patrol is on track to process a record number of migrants who have been trafficked into the country or entered illegally. In just 27 days, Border Patrol processed 225,000 migrants — an all-time high.
Despite efforts to curb migration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s annual report revealed a 19.5 percent surge in arrests of non-citizens, with the majority not facing criminal charges. Even with ICE conducting 170,590 arrests, a substantial 96,768 were administrative. Moreover, 142,580 foreign nationals were removed from the country.
The surge in migrant numbers has left US border officials overwhelmed. The Biden administration had sought additional funding from Congress to bolster Border Patrol and asylum officers. However, this funding request, paired with aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, was stalled in Senate negotiations before Christmas due to partisan disagreements over border policies.
Weak Attempt to Curb Migration Crisis
According to a Senate Republican Conference publication, during Biden’s first 100 days in office he signed a series of executive orders relaxing immigration restrictions. They included halting the construction of the wall along the Mexican border, suspending the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP, commonly known as “Remain in Mexico”), terminating Asylum Cooperative Agreements (ACAs) with Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, ending the Prompt Asylum Case Review (PACR) for non-Mexicans, halting deportations for 100 days, and discontinuing the Humanitarian Asylum Review Program (HARP) specifically for Mexicans.
A recent media report highlighted that Democrat Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy has been in virtual discussions alongside independent Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Republican James Lankford of Oklahoma, with plans to meet again in the new year.
Given the political impasse in Congress, Biden's options for swiftly reducing illegal immigration are limited, making Lopez Obrador's cooperation even more crucial.
Democratic leaders, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, have criticized the administration's "lack of intervention and coordination at the border", emphasizing the need for federal action. Former illinois deputy governor Sol Flores argued that the federal government has the capacity and infrastructure to address the crisis but has not done enough.
Local officials, including in Denver and New York City, have criticized the lack of coordination and assistance from the federal government, calling for a more cohesive and effective response to the crisis.
“When you create a system that incentivizes people to come across, and they are released, that immediately sends a message to Central America that if you come across you can stay,” remarked Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, whose South Texas district is close to the Mexican border.
While Mexico’s president is a vocal proponent of addressing the root causes of migration, he has also actively enforced migration controls for both the Trump and Biden administrations. Mexico’s National Guard, established by President Lopez Obrador, has shifted its focus from combating organized crime to migration control.
An analysis by Mexico’s news outlet reveals a 60 percent decline in criminal arrests by the National Guard from 2021 to 2022, juxtaposed against a 432.5 percent increase in migrant "rescues" - typically involving interactions between migrants and law enforcement.
Mexico's influence over migrant volumes extends beyond its borders. Lopez Obrador's decision to accept third-country deportees from the US is a significant bargaining chip, especially concerning policies like Title 42 and the "Remain in Mexico" initiative. The recent clearing of a migrant camp in Matamoros, close to Brownsville, Texas, exemplifies the type of deterrence Mexico can exert.
Meanwhile, in a December Wall Street Journal poll, 13 percent of voters identified immigration and the US-Mexico border as their primary concern, ranking it second only to economic issues. A majority disapproved of Biden's approach to the border by a ratio of more than two to one. When asked who they believed would handle the issue better, 54 percent chose Trump while only 24 percent favored Biden, marking the largest disparity between the two candidates on any tested issue.