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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 10 January 2023

Mexico may accept more migrants expelled by U.S.

By COLLEEN LONG and MA- manufacturing. Mexico is
RIA VERZA focused on economic inte-
Associated Press gration for North America,
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexi- supporting the poor in the
can President Andres Man- Americas and regional re-
uel López Obrador said lationships that put all gov-
Monday he would consider ernments on equal footing.
accepting more migrants Canada is looking to ex-
than previously announced pand on green initiatives.
under President Joe Biden’s While the three nations
plan to turn away people work together, they still
from four nations who cross have their differences.
illegally into the United The leaders of Canada
States. and Mexico have voiced
The comments came as concerns over Biden’s
López Obrador, Biden and “Buy American” plan. And
Canadian Prime Minister while Biden’s push toward
Justin Trudeau were gath- electric vehicles is a boon
ering in Mexico City for a to both U.S. neighbors be-
meeting of the three North cause of the tax credits for
American leaders. North American batteries,
“We don’t want to antici- there’s concern the U.S. al-
pate things, but this is part lies will be left behind.
of what we are going to U.S. President Joe Biden walks with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, at his Meantime, the U.S. and
talk about at the summit,” arrival to the Felipe Angeles international airport in Zumpango, Mexico, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. Canada accuse López
López Obrador said. “We Associated Press Obrador of trying to favor
support this type of mea- ing: The U.S. will send 30,000 as “very pleasant,” and he But it was likely to do little to Mexico’s state-owned util-
sures, to give people op- migrants per month from said “President Biden is a quell critics from both sides, ity over power plants built
tions, alternatives,” he said, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and friendly person.” including immigrant ad- by foreign and private in-
adding that “the numbers Venezuela back across the It was a notably warm vocates who accuse the vestors, something that’s
may be increased.” border from among those comment given that the Democratic president of forbidden under the three
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s na- who entered the U.S. ille- men’s relationship has establishing cruel policies countries’ free trade pact.
tional security adviser, cau- gally. Migrants who arrive been merely transactional not unlike those of his hard- Biden’s relationship with
tioned nothing was decid- from those countries are at best and absent the line predecessor, Republi- Trudeau is warmer, but he
ed yet. not easily returned to their warmth and camaraderie can Donald Trump. still hasn’t made it to Can-
“What we need is to see home countries for a vari- Biden has with some other The number of migrants ada during his presidency,
how the program an- ety of reasons. world leaders. crossing the U.S.-Mexico despite White House of-
nounced last week works And, 30,000 people per López Obrador said the border has risen dramati- ficials saying for months
in practice, what if any ad- month from those four na- two also discussed “the mi- cally during Biden’s first two he planned to head north
justments need to be made tions who get sponsors, gration issue … we agreed years in office. There were following a summit of the
to that program and then background checks and on addressing the causes more than 2.38 million stops Americas in Los Angeles
we can talk about taking an airline flight will get the of migration,” by generat- during the year that end- last fall.
the next steps,” he said. ability to work legally in the ing more opportunities for ed Sept. 30, the first time López Obrador skipped
The comments were a re- U.S. for two years. people so they wouldn’t the number topped 2 mil- the California summit be-
flection of the highly sen- Biden arrived in Mexico on have to migrate. lion. The administration has cause Biden didn’t invite
sitive negotiations about Sunday night via the new He also talked about eco- struggled to clamp down the authoritarian regimes
immigration, which will be Felipe Angeles Internation- nomic integration of the on crossings, reluctant to of Cuba, Venezuela and
a central issue during the al Airport, a prized project nations, calling “it is a take measures that would Nicaragua. He’s also made
two-day summit. All three of the Mexican president. dream we can make real- resemble those of Trump’s no secret of his admiration
nations are involved in a The hub was christened last ity, which is to unite all the administration. for Trump. And he was one
collective effort to better year with fanfare, though countries of the Americas.” López Obrador will for- of only three world lead-
support those arriving in it’s more than an hour’s On his way to Mexico, mally welcome Biden at ers who didn’t recognize
North America and bet- drive north of the city cen- Biden stopped in El Paso, the Palacio Nacional lat- Biden’s election victory un-
ter enforce rules to make ter, has few flights and until Texas, for four hours his first er Monday, the first time til after the formal Electoral
it harder for smugglers to recently lacked consistent trip to the border as presi- since 2014 that Mexico has College vote and the Jan.
persuade migrants to make drinking water. dent and the longest he’s hosted a U.S. president. The 6 insurrection at the U.S.
dangerous trips to the U.S. The two leaders took the spent along the U.S-Mexi- two leaders will meet to- Capitol. But despite this,
Other issues on the summit long drive into the city co line. The visit was highly gether ahead of a private they each recognize the
table: climate change, en- center in Biden’s limou- controlled and seemed dinner for all three leaders other’s importance.
ergy and the supply chain. sine. López Obrador was designed to showcase a and their wives. Biden and “They are both consum-
Sullivan said Monday the fascinated by the presi- smooth operation to pro- Trudeau will hold their own mate politicians,” Andrew
trip would be “a good op- dential vehicle known as cess migrants entering le- talks Tuesday, and then the Selee, head of the immi-
portunity for President Biden “the beast,” and said Biden gally, weed out smuggled three leaders will gather gration think tank Migra-
to deepen his personal en- showed it off to him. contraband and humanely for the main summit discus- tion Policy Institute in Wash-
gagement with President “He himself showed me treat those who’ve entered sions. ington, said of Biden and
Lopez Obrador and Prime how the buttons work,” Lo- illegally. That would create For the U.S., the major López Obrador.
Minister Trudeau.” pez Obrador said. a counter-narrative to Re- talking points are migra- “They’re looking for what
Ahead of the summit, The Mexican president de- publicans’ claims of a crisis tion, drug trafficking and the other person needs,
Biden announced the pol- scribed the two leaders’ situation equivalent to an building on Biden’s push and they’re trying to make
icy shift with Mexico’s bless- first encounter of the trip open border. on electric vehicles and clear what they need.q