Border Patrol agents talk with migrants seeking asylum as they prepare them for transportation to be processed near Dulzura, California, U.S., June 5, 2024. /CFP
The United States should negotiate deportations of undocumented migrants directly with the third countries they come from, including Cuba and Venezuela, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday.
During his daily press conference, the president acknowledged that Washington has poor relations with those countries, but said talks on immigration could help improve ties.
"Since we have very good relations with everyone, we have agreements and we can send migrants from Mexico to any country," Lopez Obrador told reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City.
However, "we want them to reach agreements, for the United States to reach an agreement with Cuba, to begin a bilateral dialogue," he said, also mentioning Venezuela.
It was the second day in a row Lopez Obrador broached the topic of immigration, after U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order earlier this week severely limiting the number of people who can cross the U.S.-Mexico border to apply for asylum in the United States.
As a transit route for migrants of different nationalities attempting to reach the United States, Mexico is deeply impacted by any changes in U.S. immigration policy, especially along its northern border.