Sec’y Johnson visits Mexico
Peña Nieto and US secretary discuss immigration
THE NEWS
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and President Enrique Peña Nieto discussed U.S. President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration during Johnson’s visit to Mexico, said the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday.
Obama announced on Nov. 20 that immigrants who are parents of children born in the United States will not be deported if they register with the government.
“Our relationship with the Mexican government is stronger than ever on issues ranging from promoting fair trade and travel, to the interests of security at our borders,” said Johnson.
“We count on the officials from the Mexican government as reliable partners and personal friends. There is a lot of interest in these executive actions from the Mexican government,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said in a statement that the U.S. secretary met with Peña Nieto in anticipation of the Mexican president’s visit to Washington in January.
While in Mexico, the secretary of homeland security also met with Interior Secretary Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong and Foreign Relations Secretary José Antonio Meade Kuribreña.
Johnson was accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Anthony Wayne, U.S. Senior Advisor to the President of the United States Rand Beers and Assistant Secretary of International Affairs and U.S. Chief Diplomatic Officer for the Department of Homeland Security Alan Bersin.
In addition to the executive action on immigration, Peña Nieto and Johnson discussed various themes of cooperation and agreements on the bilateral agenda of the governments.
The Mexican president said that he supports the actions of his American counterpart and that Obama’s immigration action can benefit millions of Mexicans living in the United States.
According to a statement from Peña Nieto’s office, his administration will work in coordination with the U.S. so that the immigration actions have the largest and most positive impact possible.
The network of Mexican embassies in the United States is preparing to provide the necessary services and assistance to immigrant parents who will be registering following the executive action.
Johnson and Peña Nieto also discussed joint efforts for border security and actions to encourage economic development and competitiveness along the border. The leaders talked about how the countries can strengthen bilateral collaboration to reduce the incidents of violence along the border and ensure migrants’ human rights.
They considered increasing cooperation in actions taking place particularly in Central America, additional support for the Plan for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle and to generate better living conditions and opportunities in the region, said the statement from the Mexican government.
The president and the U.S. secretary were also joined in their meeting by Foreign Relations Undersecretary for North America Sergio M. Alcocer.
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