Mexico and the United States have reached an agreement to address the increasing flow of migrants at the border crossings, according to reports from CNN. The agreement involves the deportation of migrants found in Mexican border cities and sending them back to their countries of origin. It also includes measures to “depressurize” Mexico’s northern cities, which border El Paso, San Diego, and Eagle Pass, Texas.
To prevent migrants from risking their lives by using the rail system to reach the US-Mexico border, Mexico will implement more than a dozen actions. These actions were outlined by Mexico’s National Migration Institute and include negotiating with the governments of Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Cuba to confirm the reception of their deported citizens. Additionally, checkpoints along the rail routes will be established, and interventions on railroads and highways will be conducted.
The agreement comes shortly after the US government announced protection for almost half a million Venezuelans in the United States, granting them the opportunity to work. This move is in response to concerns raised by some Democratic mayors and governors about the growing number of migrants straining their budgets.
The urgency of the situation was underscored by the declaration of a state of emergency in Eagle Pass last Wednesday after nearly 6,000 migrants crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico in just two days.
The agreement was reached during a meeting attended by the acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Troy Miller, the commissioner of Mexico’s National Immigration Institute, the governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, and representatives of Ferromex, the largest Mexican railway operator.
Ferromex recently suspended its train operations due to an increase in foreigners boarding their units in search of transportation to the US border. The company acknowledged the serious risks associated with the use of freight trains by migrants and cited several cases of injuries and deaths among those attempting to board cargo trains to the north.
The situation has left hundreds of migrants, particularly Venezuelans, stranded in various parts of Mexico. More than 1,500 people are concentrated in the operations yards of Torreón, Coahuila; over 800 in Irapuato, Guanajuato; around 1,000 in San Francisco de los Romo, Aguascalientes; and another 1,000 in cargo gondolas on the route between Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez.
As part of the new agreement, US Border Patrol agents will be able to expel migrants across the Ciudad Juarez International Bridge, which connects to El Paso.
The joint efforts by Mexico and the United States aim to address the increasing challenges and risks posed by the flow of migrants at the border. By deporting migrants and implementing preventive measures, both countries hope to achieve greater border security while ensuring the safety and well-being of those seeking a better life.