Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has revealed that U.S. President Joe Biden told him that the Biden Administration is willing to contribute $4 billion to help poor Central American countries.
On Friday (Jan. 22), Biden spoke by phone with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Obrador. It was Biden’s first call with a foreign leader since taking office, demonstrating the importance he places on cooperation within the American continent.
Fox News reported that the Mexican president said Saturday that Biden told him the U.S. would contribute $4 billion to help the development of Central American countries such as Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Economic difficulties in those countries have caused many people to flock to the U.S. through Mexico.
The two also discussed other immigration-related issues, Ovrador said. Biden told him the U.S. would roll back “draconian” immigration policies under the Trump administration and take steps to reduce illegal immigration. Last month Mexico stopped a caravan of Central American migrants from crossing into the United States.
On his first day in office, Biden unveiled a massive immigration reform proposal, including allowing 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States to enjoy five years of green cards or temporary legal status, if these illegal immigrants meet the requirements of taxes, background checks and other conditions, they can then complete naturalization as U.S. citizens within three years, but only for those who arrived in the United States before Jan. 1, 2021. It is estimated that as of 2015, the population of illegal immigrants in the United States was about 12 million or more.
The immigration plan is fiercely opposed by Republican lawmakers and conservative groups, who see it as a “mass Amnesty” for illegal aliens.
The Biden administration’s policy also included a 100-day suspension of ICE deportations of illegal immigrants, which led to a large number of illegal Honduran immigrants advancing to the United States before Biden took office. One illegal immigrant told The Hill that he was going to the United States because incoming President Biden “gave us 100 days to get there.
The 100-day moratorium on deportations is being sued by the state of Texas. Texas argued that the policy was illegal and demanded that the Biden administration rescind it because, according to an agreement between the Department of Homeland Security and Texas, if the Department of Homeland Security wants to change immigration regulations, it must consult with Texas in advance and give Texas six months’ notice of the change.
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