End The Cuba Embargo? Biden Begs Mexico To Stop Migrant Flows, But There's A Price
As Joe Biden continues to poll in the toilet - in no small part to the border crisis he created, his administration has resorted to begging Mexico to stem the tsunami of illegal immigrants entering the United States.
In late December, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has repeatedly maintained that the 'border is secure,' traveled to Mexico with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to beg for assistance in what officials called "preliminary" discussions with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), NBC News reports.
But there's a price!
On Friday, AMLO laid out his conditions:
- US approval for a plan to deploy $20 billion to Latin American and Caribbean countries
- Suspend the US blockade of Cuba
- Remove all sanctions against Venezuela
- Grant at least 10 million Hispanics living in the US the right to remain and work legally
These are tall demands, but the southern border could also tank Biden's chances of reelection - as the border saw a record 300,000 migrants processed by CBP in December alone.
One Biden official told NBC News that AMLO "has a very ambitious agenda," and that for some of his requests, the US Congress would need to act.
The two countries are expected to continue talks in Washington later this month. Mexico brings significant leverage to the negotiations, the U.S. and Mexican officials said. López Obrador’s administration would prefer that President Joe Biden win re-election in November, given Donald Trump’s rhetoric and actions during his time in office. But Biden is quickly running out of options to fix a problem that is driving down his poll numbers without increased support from Mexico, three U.S. officials told NBC News.
One Mexican official told NBC News that Mexico is willing to help with enforcement - which US negotiators want to include the capture and deportation of Guatemalans apprehended within the country.
Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, lawmakers continue to negotiate over border security measures after several asylum policies introduced by Biden's team in May failed to deter migration.