U.S. and Mexican Officials Discuss Migration Challenges

Meeting focuses on strengthening cooperation, expanding work programs, and resuming repatriation flights amid record border apprehensions.

Top U.S. and Mexican officials met in Washington to discuss strengthening cooperation in addressing the large numbers of migrants trying to enter the U.S. through Mexico.
New Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo has expressed interest in working with the United States to expand temporary work programs for migrants and increase investment in Guatemala's poorest areas to reduce departures.
The U.S. and Mexico have resumed repatriation flights to Venezuela, a country in the midst of a political and economic crisis, in an effort to deter migrants.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a record 11,000 apprehensions a day at the southern border in December, coinciding with a lapse in Mexican enforcement.
The wave of migration has become a political liability for U.S. President Joe Biden ahead of the November election, with pressure to limit border crossings.