US and Mexico Reach Agreement on Immigration Policies to Deter Illegal Border Crossings

The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement on new immigration policies that will allow the U.S. to continue a major component of the border strategy President Biden unveiled this year. The agreement will enable the U.S. to deport some migrants who have struggled to be sent back to their home countries due to diplomatic or logistical reasons.

The agreement will also allow Mexico to accept non-Mexican migrants and asylum-seekers deported by U.S. authorities along the southern border even after the pandemic-related emergency rule known as Title 42 lapses next week. Mexico will continue to accept migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua who are turned away at the border, and up to 100,000 individuals from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador who have family in the U.S. will be eligible to live and work there.

In addition, the U.S. will deploy extra troops to the southern border ahead of the expiration of Title 42. This is in anticipation of an expected increase in migrants following the end of pandemic restrictions next week.

The agreement between Washington and Mexico City is seen as a way to deter illegal border crossings while also opening up other pathways for migrants. It is hoped that the agreement will help to reduce the number of migrants attempting to cross the border illegally and provide a safe and legal way for those who are eligible to enter the U.S.