Mexico Triples Migrant Stops, Reducing U.S. Border Crossings

Mexico is stopping nearly three times as many migrants at the southern border compared with a year ago. U.S. officials say this has helped reduce the surge in crossings typically seen at this time of year, NBC News reports. Biden administration officials point to the increased help from Mexico in slowing migration as proof that their relationship with their southern neighbors is more effective than was the Trump administration’s. Early last year, Mexico interdicted roughly 100,000 migrants at its southern border or inside Mexico per month, while the U.S. was apprehending over 193,000 migrants monthly at the U.S.-Mexico border. This year, more migrants are being stopped inside Mexico than in the U.S., with over 280,000 interdicted in Mexico and 189,000 in the U.S. in March. According to Customs and Border Protection officials, April’s figures, not yet released, are expected to continue to show relatively low numbers compared to the seasonal uptick typically seen in April and May.

Many migrants are stopped by Mexican officials at the Guatemala-Mexico border and promptly returned to Guatemala. Others are being stopped in northern Mexico and bused to the southern end of the country. U.S. officials say Mexico’s willingness to interdict more migrants, a costly process, is in large part due to increased dialogue between the two countries on issues like immigration, fentanyl and illegal firearms trafficking. Both President Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as AMLO, recognized the severity of the problem at the end of last year when Mexico’s funding to stop migrants ran low and the number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border surged to record highs.  “President Biden and President AMLO have developed a relationship in which they talk about the shared challenges [of migration], and they both jointly recognize the shared challenges,” a senior Biden administration official said. “They’ve had multiple conversations and multiple calls over the last couple of years tackling and talking about this issue.”