- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Pompeo Thanks Mexico For Efforts in Curbing Illegal Immigration

© AP Photo / Rodrigo GarridoU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers a speech during his visit to Santiago, Chile April 12, 2019. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers a speech during his visit to Santiago, Chile April 12, 2019. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido - Sputnik International
Subscribe
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US took note of the reduced flows of illegal migrants at the US southern border brought about by Mexico's increased immigration enforcement efforts, State Department spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday following talks between US State Secretary Mike Pompeo and Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubon.

"Secretary Pompeo thanked Foreign Secretary Ebrard for Mexico's increased immigration enforcement efforts, which initial indications suggest is leading to reduced flows of illegal immigrants arriving at the U.S. southern border", the statement read.

Pompeo met with Ebrard in Mexico City as part of his Latin American tour agenda.

Mexico has agreed to tighten border controls after the United States threatened to steadily hike import tariffs if it did not stop thousands of migrants from marching to the US southern border. The deadline for the implementation of the agreement was slated for 22 July.

According to Reuters, Mexico said it has followed through on its commitment to Washington to reduce migration from Central America, underscoring that apprehensions of migrants on the southern US border dropped by roughly a third to about 100,000 in June.

Mexico has also reportedly deployed some 21,000 militarized National Guard police to decrease the flow of migrants in terms of the deal with the United States.

"On immigration, Secretary Pompeo recognized the significant progress made by Mexican operatives, in compliance with the agreement between the two countries reached on June 7 in Washington D.C.", Mexico's foreign ministry said in a statement, cited by Reuters.

In June, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Mexico had reached a deal, under which Washington would abandon earlier announced plans to impose tariffs on Mexican goods in a bid to stop the migrant influx. The deal, among other, stipulates that Mexico will deploy its National Guard to its southern border and will work to dismantle human smuggling networks.

Caravans of migrants from Central American countries seeking asylum began to move toward the United States through Mexico last fall. Trump called the surge of arrivals a crisis and declared a national emergency in February to secure funds to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала