Pompeo visits Mexico, is urged to reunite migrant families

MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Friday urged a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to quickly reunite migrant families separated at the border.

Pena Nieto said in a statement he called for “a permanent alternative that prioritizes the well-being and rights of minors.”

Pompeo visited Mexico with Cabinet-level officials to meet with both Pena Nieto and president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador after a sea-change election that could offer a chance for the neighbors to repair strained relations.

Discussions were expected to address ways to combat transnational criminal organizations, the U.S. opioid epidemic and trade tensions. But irregular migration across Mexico’s northern border into the United States loomed large during the meetings.

“The United States is committed to making measurable progress to ensure security on both sides of that border,” Pompeo told journalists.

U.S.-Mexico ties have deteriorated significantly under President Donald Trump, who campaigned on building a border wall and has repeatedly blamed Mexico for economic and social problems in the United States.

Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner accompanied Pompeo, as well as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. They met first with Pena Nieto and then with the president-elect.

Dozens of protesters jeered at Pompeo’s motorcade as the delegation arrived to congratulate the leftist, populist Lopez Obrador.

Many of the protesters condemned the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy that separated families attempting to claim asylum in the United States.

“Where are our children?” read one sign.

Pompeo acknowledged strains in U.S.-Mexico relations when he greeted Lopez Obrador but pledged the Trump administration values the bilateral ties.