President Biden assured Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that he considers the country “equal” during a virtual meeting on Monday, while his government works to unravel some of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Biden noted that while the United States and Mexico have not always been “perfect neighbors”, the two countries are most secure when there is a collaborative relationship, especially with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In the Obama-Biden administration, we are committed to looking at Mexico as an equal, not as someone south of our border. You are equal,” said Biden. “And what you do in Mexico and how successful you are has a dramatic impact on the appearance of the rest of the hemisphere.”
López Obrador thanked Biden for communicating his desire to base his relationship on respect and equality.
BIDEN MEETS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO AND EFFORTS TO ROLL UP TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICIES
The Biden government has already taken several steps to establish its own immigration policy, separating itself from the harsh rhetoric of the previous government.
Biden ordered a break in funding the border wall, which was a priority for Donald Trump’s White House to prevent illegal immigration from Mexico.
Biden also took steps to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides protection for undocumented young immigrants, and revoked Trump’s pause in the entry of green card candidates into the country because of the pandemic.
In addition, Biden ended the previous government’s “Stay in Mexico” policy, which allowed immigration authorities to send non-Mexican asylum seekers to Mexico while they waited for their cases to be arbitrated in the United States judicial system.
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Critics of Biden’s immigration plans fear they could lead to an increase in illegal border crossings. Arrests and detentions on the U.S. border with Mexico increased to almost 78,000 in January, as reported by The Washington Post, which was more than double the amount recorded the previous year.
Biden’s virtual meeting with López Obrador marked his second meeting with a foreign leader. López Obrador also received Biden’s second call to a foreign leader on his third day at the White House.