Page 5 - Us Mexico

Mexico awaits results in election likely to choose its first female prez

Polls closed on Sunday in a national vote that will likely give Mexico its first female president but the heat, violence and polarisation continued almost right through election day. People turned out to vote in the township of Cuitzeo, in the western state of Michoacn, despite the fact that a town council candidate was shot to death by two hitmen aboard a motorcycle just hours before the election. Nationwide, the voting was largely peaceful but it appeared that even if the frontrunner -- former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum -- wins, she is unlikely to enjoy the kind of unquestioning devotion that outgoing President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador has enjoyed. Both belong to the ruling Morena party. Araceli Hernndez (49), a university professor in international studies in Mexico City, said she was voting for Morena. "Even though there are things we don't like, like militarisation, there has been progress." Hernndez was referring to Lpez Obrador's policy of relying on the army and t

Mexico: All you need to know about elections that will put a woman in power

Mexicans will vote Sunday in historic elections weighing gender, democracy and populism, as they chart the country's path forward in voting shadowed by cartel violence. With two women leading the contest, Mexico will likely elect its first female president a major step in a country long marked by its macho culture. The election will also be the biggest in the country's history. More than 20,000 congressional and local positions are up for grabs, according to the National Electoral Institute. The number of contested posts has fed bloodshed during the campaigns, as criminal groups have used local elections as an opportunity to exert power. A toxic slate of cartels and gangs have battled for turf and more than 20 people seeking political office have been killed just this year. Also at play is the political legacy of President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador and Mexico's often tumultuous relationship with the United States. WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES IN MEXICO'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? Candidat

Texas' migrant arrest law back on hold after briefly taking effect

A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a stay on a Texas law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the US-Mexico border illegally while a legal battle over immigration authority plays out. The Biden administration is suing to strike down the measure, arguing it's a clear violation of federal authority that would hurt international relations and create chaos in administering immigration law. The law allows any police officer in Texas to arrest migrants for illegal entry. A judge could then order them to leave the US Texas has argued it has a right to take action over what Texas authorities have called a crisis at the southern border. The battle over the Texas immigration law is one of multiple legal disputes between Texas officials and the Biden administration over how far the state can go to patrol the Texas-Mexico border and prevent illegal border crossings. Gov. Greg Abbott has described the situation at the border as an invasion of migrants.

First time in 2 decades, Mexico overtakes China as leading exporter to US

For the first time in more than two decades, Mexico last year surpassed China as the leading source of goods imported to the United States. The shift reflects the growing tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as US efforts to import from countries that are friendlier and closer to home. Figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Commerce Department show that the value of goods imported to the United States from Mexico rose nearly 5% from 2022 to 2023, to more than $475 billion. At the same time, the value of Chinese imports imports tumbled 20% to $427 billion. The last time that Mexican goods imported to the United States exceeded the value of China's imports was in 2002. Economic relations between the United States and China have severely deteriorated in recent years as Beijing has fought aggressively on trade and made ominous military gestures in the Far East. The Trump administration began imposing tariffs on Chinese imports in 2018, arguing that Beijing's trade practices

President Biden offers fresh assurances to shut down border 'right now'

Bidding to salvage a border deal in Congress that also would unlock money for Ukraine, President Joe Biden offered fresh assurances Saturday night that he would be willing to close the US-Mexico border if lawmakers would only send him a bill to sign. Biden also eager to disarm GOP criticism of his handling of migration at the border said at a political event in South Carolina that he would shut down the border 'right now if Congress passed the proposed deal. The framework hasn't been formally agreed to by Senate Democrats and Republicans and would face an uncertain future in the GOP-controlled House. A bipartisan bill would be good for America and help fix our broken immigration system and allow speedy access for those who deserve to be here, and Congress needs to get it done," Biden said. It'll also give me as president, the emergency authority to shut down the border until it could get back under control. If that bill were the law today, I'd shut down the border right now and fix

SC allows agents to cut razor wire Texas installed on US-Mexico border

A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed Border Patrol agents to cut razor wire that Texas installed on the US-Mexico border, while a lawsuit over the wire continues. The justices, by a 5-4 vote, granted an emergency appeal from the Biden administration, which has been in an escalating standoff at the border with Texas and had objected to an appellate ruling in favor of the state. The concertina wire along roughly 48 kilometers of the Rio Grande near the border city of Eagle Pass is part of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's broader fight with the administration over immigration enforcement. Abbott also has authorised installing floating barriers in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass and allowed troopers to arrest and jail thousands of migrants on trespassing charges. The administration also is challenging those actions in federal court. A federal appeals court last month forced federal agents to stop cutting the concertina wire. Large numbers of migrants have crossed at Eagle Pass in recent ..

US sees drop in illegal border crossings after Mexico increases enforcement

Daniel Bermudez's family had fled Venezuela and was headed to the US to seek asylum when the freight train they were riding through Mexico was stopped by immigration officials. His wife tried to explain that her family had permission to go to the US Instead, they flew her to Mexico's southern border as part of a surge of enforcement actions that US officials say have contributed to a sharp drop in illegal border crossings. In addition to forcing migrants from trains, Mexico also resumed flying and busing them to the southern part of the country and started flying some home to Venezuela. Even if temporary, the decrease in illegal crossings is welcome news for the White House. President Joe Biden's administration is locked in talks with Senate negotiators over restricting asylum and USD 110 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel hangs in the balance. Bermudez said his wife became separated from her family when she talked to authorities as he gathered his stepchild and their belongings

Illegal border crossings into the US drop in Oct after 3-month streak

Illegal border crossings from Mexico fell 14 per cent in October from a month earlier, US authorities said, ending a three-month streak of big increases. US officials highlighted the resumption of deportation flights to Venezuela on October 18, shortly after Venezuelans replaced Mexicans as the largest nationality appearing at the border. Arrests of Venezuelans plummeted 45 per cent to 29,637 from 54,833, still second only to Mexicans. Arrests of Venezuelans fell even more, by 74 per cent, in the second half of October from the same period of September. Arrests for illegal crossings totalled 1,88,778 for all nationalities in October, down from 2,18,763 in September, which was the second-highest month on record. Arrests had more than doubled over the previous three months as migrants and smugglers adjusted to new asylum regulations introduced in May. Arrests of Chinese rose slightly to 4,247, with 99 per cent of them in the San Diego area, as more fly to Ecuador and make their way t

US officials will meet with counterparts in Mexico to talk drugs, migration

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top American officials are visiting Mexico on Wednesday to discuss shared security issues, foremost among them trafficking of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, but also arms trafficking and increasing migration. The latest round of the High-Level Security Dialogue brings Blinken, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, among others, together with their Mexican counterparts for two days of talks. Heightened migration is expected to be discussed as President Joe Biden's administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president's own party to do more to slow migrant arrivals. Blinken was scheduled to discuss migration Wednesday with Mexico's Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Barcena, as well as the foreign ministers of Colombia and Panama. New York City Mayor Eric Adams took a separate trip through Latin America aimed at learning more about asylum seekers'

Musk livestreams 'unflitered' situation of migrants from Mexico border

Musk has displayed major interest in the ongoing crisis at the border. He has also posted about the migrant situation frequently on his social media platform 'X'

Hundreds of migrants in southern Mexico form group to head toward US

Nearly a thousand migrants that recently crossed from Guatemala into Mexico have formed a group to head north together in hopes of reaching the border with the United States. The group, made up of largely Venezuelan migrants, walked along a highway in southern Mexico, led by a Venezuela flag with the phrase Peace, Freedom. SOS. The men, women, children, and teenagers were followed by Mexican National Guard patrols. Migrants said they crossed into Mexico illegally through a river dividing the two countries. They said they decided to organise the group and start out because many had been sleeping on the street and had run out of money to buy food. We just want to move forward, to fulfill our American dream and work, because we're all workers here, one Venezuelan, Roseli Gloria said while taking a brief rest along the highway. She carried a backpack and a piece of rolled-up foam for sleeping. She said she had been in Mexico for a week before joining the group. Participants in the gro

Migrants rush across US border in final hours before Title 42 expires

Migrants rushed across the Mexico border Thursday, racing to enter the US before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifted in a shift that threatens to put a historic strain on the nation's beleaguered immigration system. The imminent end of the rules known as Title 42 stirred fear among migrants that the changes would make it more difficult for them to stay in the US. And the Biden administration was dealt a potentially serious legal setback when a federal judge temporarily blocked its attempt to more quickly release migrants when Border Patrol holding stations are full. With a late-night deadline looming, misinformation and confusion buffeted migrants as they paced the border at the Rio Grande, often unsure of where to go or what to do next. At Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, throngs of migrants some clutching small children waded across spring river currents, pushed through thickets to confront a border fortified with razor wire. Other migrants settled into ...

Biden, Trudeau talk Haiti, trade, unrest in Brazil at Mexico City summit

Biden and Trudeau met one-on-one before a three-way meeting with Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador at the Mexico City summit

US Prez Biden, Lopez Obrador open Mexico meetings with brusque talk

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador challenged US President Joe Biden to end an attitude of abandonment and disdain for Latin America and the Caribbean as the two leaders met on Monday, making for a brusque opening to a summit of North American leaders. The comments were a stark contrast to the public display of affection between Lopez Obrador and Biden shortly before, as they smiled and embraced and shook hands for the cameras. But once the two sat down in an ornate room at the Palacio Nacional, flanked by delegations of top officials, it didn't take long for tensions to bubble to the surface. Most of the summit's work will be handled on Tuesday, when the two leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are to hold hours of talks. Migration, both legal and illegal, and border security will be key topics. On Monday, Lopez Obrador challenged Biden to improve life across the region, telling him that you hold the key in your hand. This is the moment for us to determine

President Joe Biden visits US-Mexico border as immigration issue hots up

The visit seemed designed to showcase a smooth operation to process legal migrants

On eve of Biden's Mexico border visit, migrants fear new rules by govt

Several hundred people marched through the streets of El Paso Saturday afternoon, and when they arrived at a group of migrants huddling outside a church, they sang to them no estan solos you are not alone. Around 300 migrants have taken refuge on sidewalks outside Sacred Heart Church, some of them afraid to seek more formal shelters, advocates say, amid new restrictions meant to crack down on illegal border crossings. This is the scene that will greet President Joe Biden on his first, politically thorny visit to the southern border Sunday. The president announced last week that Cubans, Nicaraguans, Haitians and Venezuelans will be expelled to Mexico if they enter the U.S. illegally an expansion of a pandemic-era immigration policy called Title 42. The new rules will also include offering humanitarian parole for up to 30,000 people a month from those four countries if they apply online and find a financial sponsor. Biden is scheduled to arrive in El Paso Sunday afternoon before ..

US judge blocks Biden attempt to end Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' policy

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in US immigration court. US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the termination until legal challenges by Texas and Missouri are settled but didn't order the policy reinstated. The impact on the programme wasn't immediately clear. It's a common sense policy to prevent people from entering our country illegally, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted after the ruling. Texas wins again, for now. The ruling could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal. An email requesting comment from the Department of Homeland Security wasn't immediately returned. Under President Donald Trump, about 70,000 asylum-seekers were forced to wait in Mexico for US hearings under the policy introduced in January 2019. President Joe Biden who said it goes against everything we stand for as a nation of ...

Illegal border crossings to US from Mexico hit annual high: Authorities

A surge in migration from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua in September brought the number of illegal crossings to the highest level ever recorded in a fiscal year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The year-end numbers reflect deteriorating economic and political conditions in some countries, the relative strength of the U.S. economy and uneven enforcement of Trump-era asylum restrictions. Migrants were stopped 2,27,547 times in September at the U.S. border with Mexico, the third-highest month of Joe Biden's presidency. It was up 11.5 per cent from 2,04,087 times in August and 18.5 per cent from 1,92,001 times in September 2021. In the fiscal year that ended September 30, migrants were stopped 2.38 million times, up 37 per cent from 1.73 million times the year before, according to figures released late Friday night. The annual total surpassed 2 million for the first time in August and is more than twice the highest level during Donald Trump's presidency in 2019. Nearly

Biden faces fire and anger over wildfires during New Mexico visit

Biden will visit New Mexico to talk about his administration's efforts to tackle wildfires as residents smolder with anger over how federal officials allowed planned burns to spread out of control

US lawmakers praise abortion access in Mexico, meets rights activist

US state legislators from Texas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and North Carolina toured Mexico and said this week they are impressed by efforts to expand abortion access in Mexico