Mexican President uses Border as Bargaining Chip with Biden

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador — popularly known as AMLO — sat down for an interview Sunday with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” and emphasized his control over the US southern border, which has been largely neglected by the Biden administration.

It’s a position this country should never be in.

AMLO began by discussing his frank discussions with then-President Donald Trump regarding Trump’s key immigration issue, the “wall,” which was a point of contention in an otherwise productive cross-border relationship.

He compared this to urgent requests made by the Biden administration in late December to Mexico for help in controlling a surge of nearly 250,000 migrants crossing the border into the US that month.

AMLO detailed how the administration implored him to “control the flow of migration” northward, to which he responded by cracking down on illegal entries from Mexico’s southern border and seeking assistance from other regional leaders to address migrant departures from their countries.

While this led to a 50% decrease in illegal entries in January, AMLO stressed that it was only a temporary solution and not a long-term one.

Despite these efforts, apprehensions rose again in February.

He made it clear that he expects the US to reciprocate by providing $20 billion annually in taxpayer funds to Latin America and the Caribbean to address the root causes of migration, lifting sanctions on Venezuela, and granting amnesty to law-abiding Mexicans living in the US.

If these demands are not met, he warned that the flow of migrants will continue.

AMLO defended his stance as being straightforward rather than diplomatic blackmail, stating that it was important to speak truthfully about the situation.

While he expressed willingness to continue assisting in securing the border, he also indicated that the US must meet his terms for ongoing cooperation.

AMLO is aware of his leverage in the realm of illegal migration and is using it to negotiate concessions from the US, especially in the absence of strong border security measures from the Biden administration.

With the Biden administration failing to deter migrants and control illegal entries, AMLO is capitalizing on the situation to push for concessions like mass amnesty and significant foreign aid.

President Biden’s welcoming policies have facilitated the entry of thousands of Mexicans into the US through executive actions, further demonstrating AMLO’s leverage.

AMLO recognizes that he has the upper hand in negotiations due to the administration’s weak border control measures.

Andrew Arthur is the fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.