Biden Deploys Top Officials to Mexico and Guatemala, Vows to be More Humane in Border Disputes

Aiming to achieve a 'humane' solution to the politically charged crisis, United States President Joe Biden on Monday dispatched a high-level team to Central America and Mexico for the administrations involved in the ongoing border dispute. The move seeks to have answers to the criticisms due to the growing presence of migrant children at the US border in the south.

The Delegates

The special advisor for border issues and a former ambassador to Mexico, Roberta Jacobson, and the top official for the Western Hemisphere of the National Security Council, Juan Gonzalez, led the U.S. delegation to meet with the foreign minister of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard. The meeting also includes members of the Mexican immigration agency as the number of immigrants into the southern U.S. is on pace to reach a two-decade high.

According to Los Angeles Times, the sharp spike in migration and the acrimonious reaction from the Republicans and others, could derail the first-year agenda of Biden and jeopardize the efforts of the U.S. President in reforming for a broader immigration policy. The National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne shared that the goal of the Biden administration was to come up with not only 'an effective and humane plan of action to manage migration' but also to 'build a more hopeful future in the region.'

Moreover, the U.S. recently shared that it is shipping several million doses of coronavirus vaccine to Mexico, where supply shortage is very critical. Also, Mexico has announced that the country was closing its southern border with Guatemala and Belize to impede the northward travel of migrants, but the White House denied that the moves made by the U.S. and Mexico were a quid-pro-quo arrangement.

In addition, part of the boost a large number of migrants, especially on children, is the perception in Central America that the immigration restrictions by the U.S. will be eased under the administration of Biden. Some experts partially agreed on the idea, but they stated that it is being exaggerated and promoted by groups who are into human trafficking as it will help them smuggle people across the border easier.

Answer to Critics

The action of Biden regarding the border dispute came after attacks of the Republican lawmakers and other critics of the administration to the U.S. President for what they pointed out as a lax treatment of illegal entries into the U.S. that can cause threats not only in security but also in health due to the ongoing pandemic. Biden has vowed to be more humane compared to his predecessor, but also shifted much of the focus on the root causes that propel people to leave their homelands, which includes violence and poverty, NPR reported.

Also, Biden announced a $4-billion, four-year program to back the effort of his administration. However, there are no details on the amount of money that will be disbursed and how it plans to fight corruption, not only in national governments and security forces. The head of the North America section of the Mexican Foreign Ministry, Rovero Velasco Alvarez, shared that the two countries will find ways to cooperate on the development of Central America and southern Mexico for a safe, orderly, and regular migration, New York Post reported.

Meanwhile, after the meetings in Mexico, Gonzalez will be traveling to Guatemala to meet President Aleandro Giammattei. They will be joined by Ricardo Zuñiga, State Department appointed as special envoy for the so-called Northern Triangle, and the three Central American countries with the highest numbers of migrations, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

WATCH: Why thousands of immigrant children have spent more time than legally allowed at border - from PBS News Hour