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US delegation to meet with Mexican government for talks on surge of migrants at border

US delegation to meet with Mexican government for talks on surge of migrants at border
As *** migrant caravan forms in southern Mexico with thousands from Central and South America. The scene on the US Southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas has changed the areas where thousands of migrants were waiting outdoors to be transported for immigration processing last week were emptied out this week. The flow this morning appearing to be down to *** trickle, *** senior customs and border protection official telling CNN that while the scene in Eagle Pass has improved, the agency is not out of the woods yet. CBP still grappling with elevated numbers of migrant encounters on the US Southern border. More than 11,000 migrants are waiting in shelters in northern Mexico. 3800 in Tijuana, 3200 in Reynosa, 4000 in Matamoros, many hoping to enter legally but some opting to cross illegally say community leaders, us federal authorities reported *** seven day average of more than 9600 migrant encounters in December. That number was 6800 at the end of November US, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Wednesday in Mexico City. The Biden administration is expected to put pressure on Mexico to do more to stem the flow of migrants to deal with the flow. CBP has temporarily suspended operations at several ports of entry in several states to reassign personnel to process migrants. This as CNN learns from AC BP official that the surge is in part driven by pseudo legitimate travel agencies abroad that promised trips to the US. But instead connect travelers to smugglers south of the border that might explain this recent scene in Arizona. I work for CNN and I'm wondering where you're from? What country you're from? Senegal, Senegal, Senegal. Senegal, everybody from Senegal smugglers are dropping off 500 to 1000 migrants in remote areas of Arizona. The official said, creating *** logistical nightmare for border patrol agents who have to find ways to transport them for immigration, processing for the volunteers who distribute water to migrants in the desert. It's the Children who get them every time. It's heartbreaking when you see the little Children.
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US delegation to meet with Mexican government for talks on surge of migrants at border
A top U.S. delegation is to meet with Mexico's president Wednesday in what many see as a bid to get Mexico to do more to stem a surge of migrants reaching the U.S. southwestern border.Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has said he is willing to help, but also says he wants to see progress in U.S. relations with Cuba and Venezuela, two of the top senders of migrants, and more development aid for the region.Both sides face strong pressure to reach an agreement after past steps like limiting direct travel into Mexico or deporting some migrants failed to stop the influx. This month, as many as 10,000 migrants were arrested daily at the southwest U.S. border.The U.S. has struggled to process thousands of migrants at the border, or house them once they reach northern cities. Mexican industries were stung last week when the U.S. briefly closed two vital Texas railway crossings, arguing border patrol agents had to be reassigned to deal with the surge.Another non-rail border crossing remained closed in Lukeville, Arizona, and operations were partially suspended in San Diego and Nogales, Arizona. U.S. officials said those closures were done to reassign officials to help with processing migrants.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left open the possibility those crossing could be reopened if Mexico provides more help.“Secretary Blinken will discuss unprecedented irregular migration in the Western Hemisphere and identify ways Mexico and the United States will address border security challenges, including actions to enable the reopening of key ports of entry across our shared border,” his office said in a statement prior to Wednesday's meeting.Mexico already has assigned over 32,000 military troops and National Guard officers — about 11% of its total forces — to enforce immigration laws, and the National Guard now detains far more migrants than criminals.But the shortcomings of that approach were on display Tuesday, when National Guard officers made no attempt to stop a caravan of about 6,000 migrants, many from Central America and Venezuela, when they walked through Mexico’s main inland immigration inspection point in southern Chiapas state, near the Guatemala border.Video below: Latest on broken asylum systemIn the past, Mexico has let such caravans go through, trusting that they would tire themselves out walking along the highway. No caravan has ever walked the 1,000 miles to the U.S. border. But wearing them out — by obliging Venezuelans and others to hike through the jungle-clad Darien Gap, or corralling migrants off passenger buses in Mexico — no longer works.Many have simply found other ways. So many migrants have been hopping freight trains through Mexico that one of the country's two major railroad companies was forced to suspend trains in September because of safety concerns.Actual police raids to pull migrants off railway cars — the kind of action Mexico took a decade ago — might be one thing the American delegation would like to see.U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall will also be in on the meeting.One thing the U.S. has already done is show that one country's problems on the border quickly become both countries' problems. The Texas railway closures put a chokehold on freight moving from Mexico to the U.S., as well as grain needed to feed Mexican livestock moving south.López Obrador confirmed last week that U.S. officials want Mexico to do more to block migrants at its southern border with Guatemala, or make it more difficult to move across Mexico by train or in trucks or buses, a policy known as “contention.” But the president said that in exchange he wanted the United States to send more development aid to migrants’ home countries, and to reduce or eliminate sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela.“We are going to help, as we always do,” López Obrador said. “Mexico is helping reach agreements with other countries, in this case Venezuela.”“We also want something done about the (U.S.) differences with Cuba,” López Obrador said. “We have already proposed to President (Joe) Biden that a U.S.-Cuba bilateral dialogue be opened.”“That is what we are going to discuss, it is not just contention,” he said.Mexico says it detected 680,000 migrants moving through the country in the first 11 months of 2023.In May, Mexico agreed to take in migrants from countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba who had been turned away by the U.S. for not following rules that provided new legal pathways to asylum and other forms of migration.

A top U.S. delegation is to meet with Mexico's president Wednesday in what many see as a bid to get Mexico to do more to stem a surge of migrants reaching the U.S. southwestern border.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has said he is willing to help, but also says he wants to see progress in U.S. relations with Cuba and Venezuela, two of the top senders of migrants, and more development aid for the region.

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Both sides face strong pressure to reach an agreement after past steps like limiting direct travel into Mexico or deporting some migrants failed to stop the influx. This month, as many as 10,000 migrants were arrested daily at the southwest U.S. border.

The U.S. has struggled to process thousands of migrants at the border, or house them once they reach northern cities. Mexican industries were stung last week when the U.S. briefly closed two vital Texas railway crossings, arguing border patrol agents had to be reassigned to deal with the surge.

Another non-rail border crossing remained closed in Lukeville, Arizona, and operations were partially suspended in San Diego and Nogales, Arizona. U.S. officials said those closures were done to reassign officials to help with processing migrants.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left open the possibility those crossing could be reopened if Mexico provides more help.

“Secretary Blinken will discuss unprecedented irregular migration in the Western Hemisphere and identify ways Mexico and the United States will address border security challenges, including actions to enable the reopening of key ports of entry across our shared border,” his office said in a statement prior to Wednesday's meeting.

Mexico already has assigned over 32,000 military troops and National Guard officers — about 11% of its total forces — to enforce immigration laws, and the National Guard now detains far more migrants than criminals.

But the shortcomings of that approach were on display Tuesday, when National Guard officers made no attempt to stop a caravan of about 6,000 migrants, many from Central America and Venezuela, when they walked through Mexico’s main inland immigration inspection point in southern Chiapas state, near the Guatemala border.

Video below: Latest on broken asylum system

In the past, Mexico has let such caravans go through, trusting that they would tire themselves out walking along the highway. No caravan has ever walked the 1,000 miles to the U.S. border.

But wearing them out — by obliging Venezuelans and others to hike through the jungle-clad Darien Gap, or corralling migrants off passenger buses in Mexico — no longer works.

Many have simply found other ways. So many migrants have been hopping freight trains through Mexico that one of the country's two major railroad companies was forced to suspend trains in September because of safety concerns.

Actual police raids to pull migrants off railway cars — the kind of action Mexico took a decade ago — might be one thing the American delegation would like to see.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall will also be in on the meeting.

One thing the U.S. has already done is show that one country's problems on the border quickly become both countries' problems. The Texas railway closures put a chokehold on freight moving from Mexico to the U.S., as well as grain needed to feed Mexican livestock moving south.

López Obrador confirmed last week that U.S. officials want Mexico to do more to block migrants at its southern border with Guatemala, or make it more difficult to move across Mexico by train or in trucks or buses, a policy known as “contention.”

But the president said that in exchange he wanted the United States to send more development aid to migrants’ home countries, and to reduce or eliminate sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela.

“We are going to help, as we always do,” López Obrador said. “Mexico is helping reach agreements with other countries, in this case Venezuela.”

“We also want something done about the (U.S.) differences with Cuba,” López Obrador said. “We have already proposed to President (Joe) Biden that a U.S.-Cuba bilateral dialogue be opened.”

“That is what we are going to discuss, it is not just contention,” he said.

Mexico says it detected 680,000 migrants moving through the country in the first 11 months of 2023.

In May, Mexico agreed to take in migrants from countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba who had been turned away by the U.S. for not following rules that provided new legal pathways to asylum and other forms of migration.