WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th May, 2023) US President Joe Biden spoke with his Mexican counterpart, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in the morning, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.
"I can confirm that the President spoke to President AMLO (Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador)... earlier today this morning," Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing.
The phone call took place amid a massive surge of illegal migrants on the US-Mexico border with the Trump-era public health emergency order known as Title 42 - which allowed the US government to turn away illegal immigrants at the border to prevent the spread of COVID-19 - set to expire on Thursday.
The White House said in a statement that the leaders discussed their effort in enhancing cooperation between Washington and Mexico City, including enhancing cooperation "to manage unprecedented migration in the region," as well as close coordination between border authorities "and strong enforcement measures, in preparation for the return to full reliance on Title 8 immigration authorities at the U.S.-Mexico border, which carry steeper consequences for those removed than expulsion under Title 42."
"Both leaders underscored the value of managing migration in a humane and orderly fashion with expanded legal pathways and consequences for irregular migration. They also affirmed their shared commitment to address the root causes of migration from Central America and discussed expanding our two nations' joint efforts. They discussed the urgency of effectively reducing crowding in northern Mexico. The two leaders affirmed that after May 11th, they will continue to implement the successful joint initiative which, over four months, achieved a 95 percent drop in border encounters of individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela at the U.S.-Mexico border," the statement read.
The presidents also acknowledged positive developments in other areas of cooperation, including "enhanced and accelerated efforts to counter illicit fentanyl and arms trafficking by dismantling criminal networks," with President Biden expressing his commitment to using "all available tools to address arms trafficking and reduce the flow of firearms into Mexico." The presidents also discussed the modernization of the US-Mexico border and the promotion of inclusive economic growth, the White House said.
An all-time record number of migrants have arrived at the US southern border under the Biden administration, hitting two consecutive records in 2021 and 2022, exceeding 2.3 million people. In the fiscal year 2023, the US authorities said they have encountered more than 1.2 million migrants.
