AMLO criticizes Biden’s position on closing the border

• AMLO criticizes President Biden.
• He addressed Biden’s recent remarks about the border.
• Immigration is a tense issue.

In his press conference on Monday, January 29, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador criticized Joe Biden’s stance on the border.

He described the suggestion of closing the border with Mexico when the influx of migrants is too high as «demagogic.»

While López Obrador expressed his respect for Biden, he emphasized that the proposed measure would not be viable due to the deep economic and commercial integration of both countries.

He pointed out that closing the border would be equivalent to building walls, a solution he considers ineffective.

AMLO criticizes President Biden

«The stance is very demagogic: let’s close the borders,» stated López Obrador, stressing the complexity and negative impact such a measure would have on bilateral trade.

He highlighted how economically and commercially integrated Mexico and the United States are, stating that Mexico is the main trading partner of the U.S. worldwide.

The Mexican president questioned the feasibility of closing the border: «With a little bit of common sense, one could not think that this is a solution.»

«Imagine the level of economic and commercial integration… we are the main trading partners of the United States in the world. How could the border be closed? It’s like the issue of walls,» he explained.

Biden’s recent stance on the border

López Obrador’s remarks were a direct response to Biden’s comments over the weekend.

The U.S. president promised to use closing the border as a tool to control immigration if Congress approves military aid to Israel and Ukraine.

According to the proposed agreement, the United States would have the authority to close the border with Mexico if more than 5,000 migrants cross irregularly in a single day.

This proposal has raised concerns and criticisms from the Mexican president.

Proposals about the border are political

The President of Mexico pointed out that the statements about closing the border are influenced by elections in the United States.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties seek to capitalize on the issue of migration and drug trafficking for their campaigns.

«Because there are campaigns, they always seek to blame migrants, blame Mexicans; they like to see the speck in someone else’s eye and not the beam in their own,» he complained.

«We are in a special season in Mexico and the United States, all this so that we do not get alarmed, act calmly,» he said.

AMLO asks for calm in the face of alarming policy proposals

Although it’s disturbing that both major political parties in the United States currently agree on the idea of closing the border, AMLO asked for calm.

He pointed out that this could all change after the general election in November.

The Mexican president also highlighted the temporary nature of proposals related to immigration.

He emphasized the need to understand the political context and to avoid impulsive reactions.

Migrant detentions are rising in the U.S.

Pressure surrounding this issue increased after U.S. authorities said they detained more than 300,000 migrants and asylum seekers at the border with Mexico in December.

According to information from the EFE agency, this is a three-year record, according to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

This increase in the number of detentions has reignited the debate overimmigration policy and has led to stricter positions by some political actors.

This has ultimately generated tensions between Mexico and the United States regarding border management over the past few months. To see the video where AMLO criticizes President Biden click HERE.