Link to article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/mexico-immigration-enforcement-leverage/2021/05/02/ca2af3aa-a854-11eb-b166-174b63ea6007_story.html
The Biden Administration has appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to run point on immigration coming from the Southern border. This week, she met virtually with foundation leaders.
Since Biden has assumed office, immigration rates of unaccompanied children at the border have increased a large amount. In an attempt to rectify this, Harris is implementing a plan to curb immigration that focuses on stopping it at its source.
The US has long been the party responsible for enforcing immigration laws; when illegal immigrants are found trying to cross the Mexican-American border, the US government must deal with the consequences. Immigration is one of the issues that is least popular among American citizens currently, and it is becoming increasingly politically unfavorable for democrats to enforce policy.
In the past, Mexico itself had many emigrants trying to cross the border. In modern day, it is more common that immigrants are coming from Central America, but entering through Mexico, still. Therefore, the modern strategy is to prevent the Central American immigrants from ever reaching the border; the Biden administration is working together with Mexico to bolster anti-immigration forces within Mexico itself.
Currently, the Biden administration is looking for Mexico to increase their immigration deterrent tactics so that the dynamic of illegal immigration will change. In March, Mexico agreed to deploy more police to deter migrants from crossing the border. They also closed the border to all nonessential travel, under the ruse of pandemic safety measures.
In the act of relying on Mexico to improve their immigration enforcement, the United States is giving the country some political leverage. Mexico is hoping to work together with the US to improve humanitarian programs as well as various other economic ventures. This partnership is a show of reciprocity because the two countries are working together towards a common interest and both parties benefit from the partnership.