Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador could help curb the flow of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border if he wanted to, but in a recent interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” it was clear he had no intention of doing so out of his own goodwill. Instead, he’s produced a list of demands that critics say amounts to extortion of the U.S. president in an election year.
The White House witnessed López Obrador's power in December. After a record 250,000 migrants overwhelmed the U.S. southern border, President Biden called López Obrador and asked Mexico to help contain the flow of migrants. A month later, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol reported the number of migrant crossings dropped by 50%.
With the ear of the White House, López Obrador proposed his fix to address the root causes of migration issues: asking the U.S. to commit $20 billion a year to poor countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, lift sanctions on Venezuela, end the Cuban embargo and legalize millions of law-abiding Mexicans living in the U.S. (CBS)
And if the U.S. doesn’t give in to the demands, AMLO promised “the flow of migrants … will continue.”
“I am speaking frankly,” he responded when asked whether his actions are “diplomatic blackmail.” "We have to say things as they are, and I always say what I feel. I always say what I think.”
It appears Mexico wants to use the situation it has largely enabled in order to try to extort Biden in an election year. https://t.co/68ebnhs18E
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 25, 2024
"President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s policy suggestion for securing the U.S. border is absurd," responded House Speaker Mike Johnson. "The truth is that we face a security and humanitarian catastrophe at the southern border that is killing Americans and destroying our communities. Meanwhile, the President of Mexico is coddling cartels and demanding the United States bankroll even more mass migration into our country. President Biden needs to confront the fact that employing leverage, as President Trump did, and not empty rhetoric, is the only way to compel Mexico to do its important part in securing the border. We should be using every tool at our disposal to secure our border and stem the flow of aliens into the United States, including the Migrant Protection Protocols. And we should be bringing every bit of leverage to compel the Mexican government to cooperate."
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s policy suggestion for securing the U.S. border is absurd. The truth is that we face a security and humanitarian catastrophe at the southern border that is killing Americans and destroying our communities.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 25, 2024
Meanwhile, the President of… https://t.co/uxucjBWQZ3
This is not a deal—it’s extortion. https://t.co/OZeag3p6Fp
— Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) March 25, 2024
Alternatively, the US ends all foreign aid to Latin American countries that enable the invasion of our country, we impose massive tariffs on Mexico, and put huge taxes on remittances to those countries. https://t.co/bk79F2iUi6
— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) March 25, 2024
Other countries, both near and far, seize the opportunity to take advantage of weak American leadership.
— Congressman Juan Ciscomani (@RepCiscomani) March 25, 2024
Biden’s disastrous foreign policy has led other countries to think they can call the shots and tell us what to do. Example ⬇️ https://t.co/vFVmWYjVlo
The President of Mexico says they will keep invading our country until we pay the bribe.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) March 25, 2024
This is a war.
He is basically saying either we meet his demands or the invasion continues. https://t.co/fZ45OkI29K
