Mexico Cannot Be Trusted on Immigration
Mexico has a long history of undermining U.S. border security, and the current Mexican administration is particularly bad. In March 2024, Texas SB4 authorized the state to deport migrants caught crossing illegally. This caused the Mexican government to announce it would refuse to accept these migrants. This is typical of the long history the Mexican government has of undermining any and all efforts by the U.S. to enforce border security. As the Biden administration asks Mexico for cooperation on a migration crisis the administration itself created, it would do well to study the history of Mexico doing the exact opposite of cooperating.
Things have been particularly bad under the current Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). One notable theme has been softness towards cartels under his bizarrely-named security policy of “hugs not bullets”. This includes disbanding elite anti-cartel units in the Mexican police and urging the U.S. not to launch anti-cartel activity into Mexico. All of this has allowed the cartels to operate more freely, and their drug smuggling, people smuggling and other crimes backed by brutal violence have had severe consequences for people on both sides of the border. Mexico has refused to allow U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) personnel to participate in drug seizures and refuses to share data on drugs, making it much harder to tackle drug crime in the U.S.
In addition to going soft on cartels, AMLO has altogether refused to cooperate on immigration. Mexico expressed its opposition to the “Remain in Mexico” (i.e. Migrant Protection Protocols) policy that saw migrants sensibly being told to wait outside the U.S. until their claims for asylum were decided. Its termination by the Biden administration – with the enthusiastic approval of the Mexican government — means that migrants instead flood into the U.S., causing serious social problems. Mexico also allows millions of illegal aliens heading for the U.S. to cross its territory with little to no interference. While happy to inflict mass migration on the U.S., Mexico expresses hypocritical outrage about migrants being sent their way from the U.S. after deportation.
Despite the emotive language the Mexican government uses about migrant rights, Mexico has a cynical attitude to these same migrants. Under a strategy known as “instrumentalized migration”, AMLO’s administration has used migrants as pawns. Mexico demanded $20 billion from the U.S. and 10 million visas for Mexicans, or it would allow migrants to flood the U.S. Blackmailing America and threatening social harm from mass immigration if the Mexican government’s demands are not met is outrageous.
Mexico also has a long history of refusing to extradite Mexican criminals to face justice in the U.S. However, it angrily demands extradition of criminals from other countries to Mexico, like when it wanted the El Paso gunman sent to Mexico for trial, despite the fact the suspect had not crossed any borders and the crime took place on U.S. soil. It has also repeatedly intervened on behalf of even the worst Mexican criminals in the U.S. For example, it complained about the alleged lack of rights for Mexican national Jose Medellin, who took part in a gang rape and murder of two young American girls in Texas. The case ultimately went to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Mexico said nothing about his victims’ rights.
Put simply, Mexico is behaving disgracefully. It allows cartels to operate freely, allows illegal migrants to flood the U.S., defends even the worst Mexican criminals in the U.S., and refuses to cooperate with the U.S. on evidence-sharing and suspect transfers. It even openly meddles in U.S. elections. These are hardly the actions of a friendly neighbor and grounds for being called a hostile witness if this were a courtroom. The U.S. cannot rely on or trust Mexico when it comes to national security. Our border security, decisions and policies can only succeed when this realization is made and the U.S. acts accordingly.