BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joseph Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had a phone call on April 28 on the issue of illegal immigration at the border. The two sides issued a statement on the 29th, saying that they had ordered measures to curb illegal border crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. Biden is currently facing controversy over the flow of immigration, and voters have listed illegal immigration as one of the key issues in this year's U.S. presidential election and congressional reelection.
According to Reuters, when Biden and López spoke on the phone on the 28th, the two sides said that the two governments would soon take measures to reduce illegal border crossings, while addressing the economic and security issues that led to the emergence of migrants.
In a joint statement released on the 29th, the White House said: "The two leaders asked their respective national security teams to work together to take immediate and concrete steps to significantly reduce illegal border crossings while protecting human rights." The statement did not mention details of measures to curb crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Speaking at a news conference in Mexico, López said the call was initiated by Biden and that he personally wanted the United States and Mexico to work together as "neighbors, friends and trading partners."
With a record wave of illegal immigration in the United States last year, voters have made immigration one of the key issues in this year's U.S. presidential and congressional elections.
According to Agence France-Presse, polls show that a majority of voters blame Biden for causing an unprecedented number of illegal immigrants to cross the border. Last December, about 10,000 people were detained by the United States every day on the border with Mexico, a record high. In 2023 alone, more than 2.4 million illegal immigrants crossed the U.S. southern border.
Reuters reported in mid-April, citing internal statistics from the U.S. Border Patrol, that the U.S. Border Patrol had arrested more than 1 million illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in the past six months.
Republicans have consistently accused the Biden administration of being weak in dealing with illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Former Republican President Donald Trump has ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric in this year's presidential race, repeatedly saying that illegal immigration "poisons America's blood."
Biden earlier this year called on the U.S. Senate to pass a bipartisan immigration bill that would give him new powers to deny illegal immigrants entry at the U.S.-Mexico border, but the bill was vetoed by Senate Republicans after Trump voiced opposition.
According to Reuters, the White House is considering using Biden's executive authority to block illegal immigrants from entering the country, but the move could spark legal challenges and strong opposition from some Democrats.
Biden has previously said he is considering steps to address illegal immigration, including strengthening the asylum process and even temporarily closing the border, but there has been strong opposition within the Democratic Party, with some Democrats arguing that Biden has taken too tough measures against asylum seekers. (Liu Xi)