We need you, amigo
Diplo: Mex. must help with H’tians
Stemming the stream of Haitian migrants, many of whom have lived in South America for years, into the United States should be a shared burden between the US and Mexico, Ken Salazar, the new US ambassador to Mexico, said Saturday.
“It is a very significant issue for both countries, it’s a significant issue for the Western Hemisphere,” Salazar said at a press conference in Mexico City.
Last month, thousands of Haitians flooded into the United States seeking asylum, causing chaos in the small border town of Del Rio, Texas, after they camped out under a bridge.
After initially being caught flat-footed, the Biden administration moved to deport them, although the effort has not proceeded smoothly.
And the administration is increasingly relying on Mexico to thwart migrants from Central America, but also places such as Haiti.
Salazar also urged a partnership between the two countries to fight the Fentanyl epidemic and allow agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration to operate in Mexico. Last year, the Mexican government removed immunity from US agents operating in the country.
The ambassador’s remarks on Haitian immigrants come just a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to discuss migration issues.
During a press conference in Mexico City, Blinken, echoing Vice President Kamala Harris’ remarks in Guatemala earlier this year, bluntly warned Haitians against illegally coming to the US.
“The journey is profoundly dangerous and it will not succeed, and we are working to make sure that people understand that,” Blinken said.
“Unfortunately, one of the things that’s happened is, various groups are spreading false information about what possibilities exist for those coming to the United States irregularly and trying to misinform people that they will be able to enter the United States,” he added.
Yet migrants from across South and Central America remain undeterred.
On Thursday, Mexican officials yanked a staggering 652 migrants off trucks at the border with the United States, including hundreds of unaccompanied children — one of the largest human smuggling operations in recent memory, local officials said.
The migrants were taken to a local processing facility while Mexican authorities could figure out their legal situation. Migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua were also found among the detained.