Mexico’s National Guard will not act as “Border Patrol”

MEXICO CITYThe recently created National Guard will only regulate the flow of immigration at Mexico’s southern border, not stop it, Mexico’s Interior Minister Olga Sanchez Cordero said Tuesday. “To be clear, the National Guard is not a ‘Border Patrol’ because it will be implemented and deployed across the nation, mainly in the areas with more violence,” Sanchez Cordero told the media. According to the minister, members of the National Guard will be working “in both the northern border as well as the southern border, in Tamaulipas, in Guanajuato, wherever their presence is needed.” “The entry of illegal migrants (to Mexico) is part of our national security, that’s why we want orderly and safe migration,” she said. She said regulating the entry of undocumented immigrants to Mexican territory is “only making sure our laws are respected.” On June 7, the Mexican and US governments reached an agreement to reduce the number of migrants from Central America. The agreement suspended the implementation of tariffs that US President Donald Trump threatened to impose on all Mexican imports beginning on June 10. Under the deal, Mexico promised to increase its efforts to reduce undocumented immigration, and strengthen the deployment of its recently created National Guard. The flow of Central American migrants fleeing poverty and crime has increased since the end of 2018, with caravans of thousands crossing Mexico, mainly on foot, to reach the US border.

(Xinhua)