The latest development on immigration between the Biden/Harris Administration and the Mexican government is that buses will be provided for migrants from two southern Mexican cities to the U.S. border. Under the plan, U.S.-bound migrants will be provided with food and safety during the journey from the two cities to their U.S. destination, where the migrants will have an asylum appointment based on their CBP-One application.
Mexico's National Migration Agency (INM) government Spanish Announcement The plan, announced on Saturday, is called a “Safe Emerging Mobility Corridor.” The two departure cities in southern Mexico are Villahermosa, Tabasco and Tapachula, Chiapas.
BREAKING: The Mexican government has announced that it will begin transporting illegal migrants heading to the US border in buses with police and military escort.
Border Commissioner Kamala Harris meets with Mexican President Andres Obrador. Was this part of their plan?
— George (@BehizyTweets) September 1, 2024
This new transportation program allows Mexican authorities to better manage the flow of migrants moving into the country by scheduling free transportation services when appointments are made through the CBP-One program for admission to the U.S. Currently, 1,450 migrants per day enter the U.S. through the Biden/Harris CBP-One asylum process. Migrants do not have to pass a credible fear interview, which is typically the first hurdle to successfully filing an asylum claim.
Biden-Harris Secretary of Homeland Security Manuel Padilla and U.S. Border Patrol Commissioner Jason Wilson meet with Mexican immigration officials. (Photo: Mexican INM)
The program announcement comes one week after representatives of Mexico's INM and the Biden/Harris administration met in Mexico to expand the geographic area of Mexico where migrants can apply for CBP-One asylum appointments. Until last week, the program limited the scheduling of appointments in central and northern Mexico. Allowing appointments in southern Mexico will allow both governments to regulate the flow of migrants through Mexico.
The program provides participating migrants with entry permits that allow them to travel legally within the country for 20 days. The INM will work with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to coordinate security for buses heading to the U.S. border, according to the announcement.
The program may face challenges as migrants navigate the CBP-One application process and attend interviews due to the difficulty of dealing with cartel violence and the lack of job opportunities in southern Mexico. Many migrants leave the southern border city of Tapachula in Chiapas for larger cities in central Mexico, such as Mexico City, where job opportunities are more abundant.
Randy Clark Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as Chief of the Law Enforcement Operations Division, where he led operations for nine Border Patrol stations in the Del Rio Sector, Texas. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
