U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other officials will meet with Mexican leaders to discuss the recent surge in migration and border closures.
President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador AMLO acknowledge the need for more enforcement.
A key topic is the flow of fentanyl from Mexico, linked to the U.S. drug crisis. Investigations show many Mexican drug labs were inactive when seized.
This raises doubts about the effectiveness of Mexico’s anti-drug efforts.
The U.S. faces internal pressures to strengthen immigration policies, with calls from Republican members of Congress.
Border closures, like in Lukeville, Arizona, disrupt U.S.-Mexico commerce and social ties. Train travel in border cities like Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, is also impacted.
Mexico’s immigration policy, aligned with U.S. interests since the Trump era, faces criticism for contradicting its legal migration framework.
Blinken’s meeting with López Obrador will focus on these issues, aiming for mutually beneficial solutions.
U.S. and Mexico Address Migration, Drugs
In 2023, the escalating migration crisis in the Americas saw over 500,000 migrants, predominantly Venezuelans and Ecuadorians, crossing Panama’s Darien Gap.
This influx, more than double the 2022 figure, strains local healthcare systems.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is working to improve healthcare access for migrants and strengthen health services along the migration route.
PAHO focuses on enhancing health services, improving communication about migrants’ health needs, and adapting policies to protect migrant health.
The crisis in the Darien Gap reflects wider migration trends in the Americas.
Unlike other regions, Central America and the Caribbean face unique migration drivers like violence and economic instability.