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Mexico 

As migrants’ path leads through Mexico, the Mexican government has a substantial interest in managing Haitian migration. Currently, thousands of Haitians are stuck in Mexico. They are waiting for Biden to open up a window to enter the USA. Migration from the Caribbean poses two challenges to Mexico: stemming unauthorized border crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border and processing its backlog of asylum applications. Mexico has added twenty-five thousand National Guard militarized police along its borders and implemented raids on human traffickers. Due to an unprecedented number of applications, Mexico faces a two-year backlog of asylum applications, which have increased by over 1000 percent since 2013. Additionally, the Remain in Mexico policy put pressure on Mexican towns along the U.S. border.

Remain in Mexico: The Border Protection Controls.

Trump enacted the so-called Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the remain in Mexico policy. Under the policy, migrants who show up at the border seeking asylum are allowed to apply but forced to head back across the border to wait for a decision. The U.S. also enforced title 42, a public health law that allows the U.S. to turn back immigrants on health grounds. The Biden Administration attempted to end the stay in Mexico provisions but has been sued by Homeland Security and Texas. The Department of Homeland Security argues it doesn’t have the means to deal with immigrants at the border. If the MPP rules end, they need infrastructure to place the migrants and additional staff and equipment. The Supreme Court will hear the case soon. Trump implemented the MPP policy to deter migrants from coming to the U.S. and prevent them from failing to show up at immigration hearings. Critics of the policy said it put migrants’ lives in danger by requiring them to wait in border cities plagued by gangs, drugs, and violence.

 Mexico and the U.S.

The Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) had to deal with 51000 asylum claims of Haitians in 2021 alone. The Mexican government is strengthening its borders to deal with the migration influx. COMAR is underfunded and doesn’t have the resources to deal with the massive stream of migrants. Many migrants, therefore, don’t receive proper care and have to wait for months, if not years, to get their case heard.

Mexico is heavily dependent on the U.S. for trade and investment. Likewise, Mexico is one of the U.S.’s biggest export markets. Both countries are interdependent. During the Trump administration, the relationship with Mexico was tense. However, when Biden was inaugurated, both he and president Obrador showed a willingness to strengthen the relationship between Mexico and the U.S. Apart from the USMCA agreement, both governments are trying to foster cooperation in border security, immigration, etc.

Potential policies for Mexico:

– Comply with the Border Protection Controls and support the U.S., despite a lack of infrastructure and means to safely host asylum seekers

– Agree to host some Haitian refugees with sponsorship from the U.S.

– Use the border crisis as a leverage tool to negotiate more investment and support from the U.S.

– Let the U.S. solve its problems at the expense of the Haitian people

– Stronger border controls and security: preventing more asylum seekers from entering and crossing the border. This can entail forced deportations, strict vetting of immigrants, etc..[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][dfd_spacer screen_wide_spacer_size=”100″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″][/vc_column][/vc_row]