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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 24 February 2017
Homeland Security chief: No use of military for deportations

JOSH LEDERMAN turbulence for U.S.-Mexico
Associated Press relations. In contrast to
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Seek- Trump, Tillerson and Kelly
ing to tamp down grow- emphasized a U.S. commit-
ing unease in Latin Amer- ment to work closely with
ica, U.S. Homeland Secu- Mexico on border secu-
rity Secretary John Kelly rity, illegal immigration and
pledged Thursday that the trafficking of drugs and
United States won’t enlist weapons — issues Trump
its military to enforce immi- has made a central focus
gration laws and that there of his young presidency,
will be “no mass deporta- much to Mexico’s dismay.
tions.” Both Tillerson and Kelly ap-
Only hours earlier, President peared to downplay any
Donald Trump suggested major rift between the U.S.
the opposite. He told CEOs and Mexico.
at the White House the de- “In a relationship filled with
portation push was a “mili- vibrant colors, two strong
tary operation.” sovereign countries from
Kelly, speaking in Mexico’s time to time will have dif-
capital, said all deporta- ferences,” Tillerson said.
tions will comply with hu- “We listened closely and
man rights requirements carefully to each other as
and the U.S. legal system, we respectfully and pa-
including its multiple ap- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, center, smiles as Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretary Luis tiently raised our respec-
peals for those facing de- Videgaray, right, shakes hands with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly at the Foreign tive concerns.”
Affairs Ministry in Mexico City, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. Mexico’s mounting unease and resent- For Mexico, that patience
ment over President Donald was running short.
Trump’s immigration crack- Foreign Relations Secre-
down are looming over a tary Luis Videgaray noted
Thursday meeting between the “public and notori-
Tillerson, Homeland Secu-
rity Secretary John Kelly, and ous differences” between
Mexican leaders that the U.S. the countries and said the
had hoped would project a Mexicans had raised the
strong future for relations be- “legal impossibility” of a
tween neighbors. government making “uni-
(AP Photo/Rebecca Black- lateral” decisions affect-
well) ing another country. Vide-
garay has previously raised
portation. He said the U.S. the prospect Mexico could
approach will involve seek recourse at the Unit-
“close coordination” with ed Nations or elsewhere
Mexico’s government. for U.S. moves violating in-
“There will be no use of mili- ternational law.
tary forces in immigration,” “It is an evident fact that
Kelly said. “There will be no Mexicans feel concern
— repeat, no — mass de- and irritation over what are
portations.” perceived as policies that
Yet while Kelly and U.S. may hurt Mexicans and the
Secretary of State Rex Tiller- national interest of Mexi-
son tried to alleviate Mex- cans here and abroad,”
ico’s concerns, Trump was Videgaray said.
fanning them further, with The divergent tones from
tough talk about “getting Trump and from his Cabi-
really bad dudes out of this net officials left Mexico
country at a rate nobody with an uncomfortable de-
has ever seen before.” cision about whom to be-
“It’s a military operation,” lieve. Throughout Trump’s
Trump said Thursday while first weeks, foreign leaders
his envoys were in Mexico have grown increasingly
City. “Because what has skeptical as Trump’s en-
been allowed to come into voys deliver soothing mes-
our country, when you see sages that are then negat-
gang violence that you’ve ed by the president.
read about like never be- Mexico has been incensed
fore and all of the things, that the U.S. announced
much of that is people — without Mexico’s sign-
who are here illegally.” off — that people caught
It was an altogether differ- crossing the border illegally
ent message from Kelly and will be sent back to Mexico
Tillerson, who traveled here — even those from third
to meet with top Mexican countries who have no
officials at a time of intense connection to Mexico.q