Mexico’s President Says Biden Immigration Policies Prompting Border Surge

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador blamed the immigration messaging of US President Joe Biden for the crisis that continues to spiral at the southern border between the United States and Mexico.

The left-wing Mexican president said Biden’s immigration policies created “expectations” for those seeking to cross to the US contributing to the unprecedented increase in the number of migrants — and causing a serious strain to resources at the border in recent weeks.

“Expectations were created that with the Government of President Biden there would be a better treatment of migrants,” López Obrador said.

“This has caused Central American migrants, and also from our country, wanting to cross the border thinking that it is easier to do so.”

As part of his very first presidential actions, Biden reversed several Trump-era immigration policies which earlier kept the outpour of migrants in check — and in turn implemented more lax restrictions for asylum seekers wanting to enter the US. He also ended the former administration’s policy that required migrants to remain in Mexico while making their case to enter the country. 

AMLO: Biden allowing smugglers and traffickers in

The Democratic president also reinstated the Obama-eras’ “catch-and-release” program — releasing families into the country’s communities and his message of “open borders” was earlier cited among the major reasons for the surge of migrants at the southern border.

“President Joe Biden’s press secretary told reporters Monday that the US had dispatched envoys to Mexico and Guatemala in order to find a solution for how to reduce the number of migrants showing up at the southern border. But Mexico’s president appeared to side with Biden’s conservative critics, who say his departure from former President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies has helped facilitate the new surge,” Newsweek reported.

It added that López Obrador also slammed Biden for “allowing smugglers and traffickers to convince locals that the often dangerous route has been made easier to cross” — making the border crisis worse. 

“During his Tuesday press conference, Obrador went on to say that he stressed Mexican sovereignty and wants to work in a ‘coordinated manner’ with US officials in order to help curb the flow of migrants showing up at the border between the two countries,” the outlet wrote.

For weeks, the Biden administration has downplayed the situation at the US-Mexico border even refusing to call it a crisis. The Democratic administration also blasted Republicans for calling for measures to tighten restrictions at the border in response to the surge which has pushed border communities to the brink of collapse at the time when the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the country.

Mayorkas: border is closed; Biden says “don’t come”

In February alone, over 100,000 individuals were reportedly apprehended at the border, and more than 15,000 unaccompanied migrant minors were also held in custody at various border facilities.

As the border crisis deepens and criticisms pile up, Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said this week that the southern border is “closed.” The Democratic president, himself, also  told potential immigrants “not to come.”

Biden noted earlier that he plans to visit the border “at some point” — as critics urged the president to witness the situation at the border that “he created.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris only laughed when asked whether she would also pay a visit to the southern border as images of the harrowing living conditions at federal facilities surfaced online.

“Not today,” said Harris, who formerly represented border-adjacent California as a senator. “But I have before, and I’m sure I will again.”

Mexico already earlier expressed worry that “the new US administration’s asylum policies are stoking illegal immigration and creating business for organized crime.”

Mexico also said it will rampied up its efforts to stop the unprecedented tide of illegal immigrants entering its southern border en route to the US as migrant numbers are expected to be the highest in the history of the Department of Homeland Security.

This prompted backlash on social media; GOP lawmakers also piled on to hit Biden.

“Apparently, the border crisis is now a laughing matter for the Biden administration,” Senator Ted Cruz’ Special Advisor for Communications, Steve Guest said.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy also blasted Biden- Harris for saying: “While VP Harris laughs off a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, Republicans are focused on securing the border and responding to the needs of our Border Patrol agents on the front lines.”

Rep. Debbie Lesko (Arizona) also expressed her frustration of the situation at the border.

“First, the Biden Administration refused to admit the situation at the border is a crisis, NOW Kamala Harris thinks this is a laughing matter,” Lesko said. “It isn’t a laughing matter for the border communities being deluged by illegal immigrants.”

GOP National Spokesperson & Director of Black Media Affairs, Paris Dennard, wrote: “Both Biden & Harris have refused to visit the border because it’s not a priority-apparently it’s just a laughing matter!”

“Solving the crisis they created isn’t a priority. Going on a trillion dollar political PR boondoggle tour is more important to them,” he added.

US officials were reportedly meeting with Mexico and Guatemala to discuss the best way to address the border crisis.

Steeve Strange

Steeve is the CEO & Co-Founder of The Scoop.