US President Joe Biden has visited the border between the US and Mexico, his first trip to the region since taking office two years ago. The visit was seen as an attempt to show that Biden is taking the issue of immigration seriously, and follows the recent announcement of new immigration policies by his administration.
These policies aim to address an increase in undocumented border crossings and establish a program allowing up to 30,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan nationals to enter the US each month and receive two-year work permits if they have sponsors in the US and pass background checks. In return, the policy allows US authorities to expel to Mexico residents of these four countries who irregularly cross the border and prevent them from accessing the program.
However, rights groups argue that the policy unfairly targets individuals who have no other option but to irregularly cross the border to seek asylum.
During his visit to El Paso, Biden was accompanied by Border Patrol agents and walked a stretch of the wall that separates the two countries, a signature project of his predecessor Donald Trump.
He also inspected the busy port of entry and observed as border officers demonstrated how they search vehicles for drugs, money and other contraband.
“If I could wave the wand, what should I do?” the president asked those at the El Paso County Migrant Services Center.
The visit was highly controlled with no encounters with migrants.
The issue of immigration has been a source of controversy for Biden, with Republican critics claiming that the administration has been too lenient and rights groups arguing that the new measures will endanger the lives of asylum seekers.
Upon Biden’s arrival in Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott handed him a letter stating that the “chaos” at the border was the “direct result” of the president’s failure to enforce federal laws. When asked about the letter, Biden stated that he had not yet had the chance to read it.
Biden’s visit to Mexico for a North America leaders’ summit in Mexico City, where security is expected to be a major topic of discussion, comes days after the capture in Mexico of Ovidio Guzman, a son of jailed drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
This incident is seen as a win in the fight against powerful cartels and a boost to US-Mexico cooperation on security. During the summit, which will take place on Monday and Tuesday, Biden is expected to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and discuss issues such as drugs, the economy, and immigration, as well as ways to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.