Biden’s Security Adviser to Meet with Mexican President Regarding Migration Issues, Reports Reuters

By Raul Cortes

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that he will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden’s homeland security adviser later today to discuss migration issues, as the White House seeks legislative support for new funding aimed at enhancing border security.

Lopez Obrador shared during a regular press briefing that the visit by Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall was initiated by President Biden. "The president spoke to me regarding migration negotiation matters, and he specifically wanted me to meet with his security adviser," he stated.

Additionally, the Mexican president mentioned that Canadian officials are scheduled to visit Mexico on Wednesday, though he did not elaborate further on the specifics of their discussions.

On Monday, the Biden administration indicated the president would veto a stand-alone bill backed by House Republicans intended to provide support to Israel, advocating instead for a more comprehensive bipartisan approach. This proposed legislation, amounting to $118 billion, aims to reform migration policy while allocating new resources for border security.

Lopez Obrador criticized the proposed measures as "electorally motivated," pointing out that Biden’s primary opponent in the upcoming November elections is former Republican President Donald Trump, whose administration focused heavily on migration control from 2017 to 2021. "We believe this policy will be ineffective," Lopez Obrador remarked, suggesting alternatives such as the regularization of Mexicans who have been working in the United States for over five years and advocating for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Venezuela and Cuba.

Lopez Obrador further noted, "Apparently, Republicans are conditioning their support on the inclusion of anti-Mexican migration measures in the bill. They want to use us as a bargaining chip."

The Mexican leader has consistently emphasized the need for the United States to tackle the root causes of migration. On Tuesday, he reaffirmed his call for Mexico’s northern neighbor to invest $20 billion annually in addressing the challenges faced by impoverished nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.