(CNN) — The President of the United States, Joe Biden, held a call this Tuesday with the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in which they spoke about the “unprecedented migration” facing the region, according to the White House. The dialogue between the leaders takes place just days before the end of the order known as Title 42, which since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic allowed US authorities to quickly expel migrants who arrive at the country’s land borders.
As thousands of people continue to arrive at the US-Mexico border, the two presidents discussed “the importance of enhancing US-Mexico cooperation” in tackling migration. “To that end, they discussed continued close coordination between border authorities and strong enforcement measures, in preparation for the return” of Title 8, which will replace Title 42.
This regulation that will enter into force is decades old, and foresees more serious consequences for migrants who cross the border illegally. People who cross the border without first applying for asylum will be removed under that authority.
For his part, the president of Mexico, Manuel Andrés López Obrador, gave some details about his conversation with Biden. On Twitter, he published that he spoke for an hour on the phone with his counterpart, and that they reaffirmed her commitment to address issues such as migration, drug trafficking and arms trafficking, and cooperation for the well-being of the people of the continent.
“We are good neighbors and friends,” López Obrador added.
We talked for about an hour with President Biden. We reaffirm our commitment to continue working together on issues such as migration with a humanist dimension, drug and arms trafficking and, above all, cooperation for the well-being of the poorest peoples of our… pic.twitter.com/oVbyJY06wJ
– Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) May 9, 2023
The White House added that the presidents “underscored the value of managing migration in a humane and orderly manner with expanded legal pathways and consequences for irregular migration.” They also referred to the “urgency” of reducing overcrowding in northern Mexico and “affirmed that after May 11 they will continue to implement the successful joint initiative that, in four months, achieved a 95% drop in border meetings of people of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela on the border between the United States and Mexico”.
