Harris Holds First Call with Mexican President on Illegal Immigration Issue... "Continued Cooperation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, during her first phone call on the 7th (local time) with Mexican President Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador, promised continued cooperation between the two countries to address the issue of illegal immigrants.

The two countries agreed to maintain a cooperative relationship to tackle the root causes of illegal immigration from the Northern Triangle of Central America, which includes El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, accounting for the majority of Central and South American migrant caravans.

President L?pez Obrador expressed during the call, "We are deploying police and military forces to block the flow of illegal immigrants crossing from Central America to the southern U.S. border," showing his willingness to cooperate. Vice President Harris responded, "We appreciate Mexico's cooperation on immigration issues."

The two countries also agreed to mutually cooperate on human rights issues concerning illegal immigrants, including human trafficking. After the call, President L?pez Obrador wrote on Twitter, "We confirmed our mutual commitment to protecting the human rights of minor undocumented immigrants."

It has been reported that Central and South American immigrants attempting illegal entry into the U.S. via Mexico are kidnapped by criminal organizations seeking ransom, targeted by Mexican criminal groups, and pushed out without legal protection, resulting in serious human rights issues.

Earlier, President Joe Biden viewed the cessation of financial aid to these three countries, plagued by extreme poverty and violence, as a factor increasing illegal immigration, and decided to restore the $700 million aid cut off by former President Donald Trump.

President Biden pledged an additional $4 billion in economic support to the region but did not disclose specific target amounts or plans for funding sources.

Unlike the hardline anti-immigration policies of the Trump administration, President Biden's compassionate pro-immigration stance has led to a surge of Central and South American immigrants attempting entry, becoming a significant concern for the U.S. government.

In particular, after introducing an immigration reform bill that opened a path to citizenship instead of deporting minor undocumented immigrants, the number of unaccompanied minors attempting illegal entry soared to the highest level in 20 years. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as of the end of last month, about 5,000 minor immigrants were detained in Customs and Border Protection facilities.

Earlier, President Biden entrusted Vice President Harris with resolving the immigration issue, which has escalated into a political crisis. Vice President Harris's main task is to establish strategic cooperative relationships with Mexico and the Northern Triangle to prevent migrants from these regions from entering the U.S.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.