[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS ASKING MEXICO’S PRESIDENT FOR HELP CURBING THE ONGOING BORDER CRISIS.

IN RETURN – MEXICO’S PRESIDENT HAS A FEW REQUESTS OF HIS OWN.

SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN AND HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS MET WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT
ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR IN MEXICO CITY LATE LAST MONTH TO DISCUSS MIGRATION MANAGEMENT – just before US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION ANNOUNCED A RECORD NUMBER OF MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS of 302-THOUSAND – AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER IN
DECEMBER.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WANTS MEXICAN OFFICIALS TO HELP CONTROL THE U-S MEXICO BORDER FROM THEIR SIDE, SECURE
THEIR BORDER WITH GUATEMALA, AND STEM THE FLOW OF FENTANYL AND OTHER DRUGS POURING INTO THE U-S.

SINCE BLINKEN AND MAYORKAS MET WITH LOPEZ OBRADOR – U-S OFFICIALS SAY MEXICAN EFFORTS TO SLOW MIGRATION AT THE U-S-MEXICO BORDER HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL – CITING A DROP IN ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS IN THE NEW YEAR.

US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION PROCESSED 25-HUNDRED MIGRANTS ON MONDAY – A SHARP DECLINE FROM THE AVERAGE 10-THOUSAND MIGRANTS PER DAY IN DECEMBER.

IN EXCHANGE FOR HELPING TO DECONGEST THE U-S SOUTHERN BORDER – LOPEZ OBRADOR WANTS THE U-S TO GIVE $20-BILLION DOLLARS TO LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES. HE ALSO WANTS THE U-S TO OPEN DIALOGUE WITH CUBA AND SUSPEND THE BLOCKADE, REMOVE ALL SANCTIONS AGAINST VENEZUELA, AND GRANT 10-MILLION HISPANICS IN THE U-S THE RIGHT TO REMAIN AND WORK IN THE COUNTRY LEGALLY.

SOME OF THESE REQUESTS WILL NEED CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL.

LOPEZ OBRADOR SAID BACK IN SEPTEMBER – SOME OF THE MONEY THE UNITED STATES WAS SENDING TO UKRAINE – TO HELP FUND THE WAR AGAINST RUSSIA – SHOULD INSTEAD BE SENT TO LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES.

LOPEZ OBRADOR SAYS PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THE POOR COUNTRIES WILL HELP TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ROOT CAUSES OF MIGRATION.

MANY MIGRANTS FROM VENEZUELA LEAVE THEIR HOME COUNTRIES BECAUSE OF DETERIORATING ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS –PBS NEWS REPORTS.

FOUR MONTHS AGO – LOPEZ OBRADOR CALLED FOR THE U-S TO CREATE A PROGRAM “TO REMOVE BLOCKADES AND STOP HARASSING INDEPENDENT AND FREE COUNTRIES” AND TO DEVELOP “AN INTEGRATED PLAN FOR COOPERATION SO THE VENEZUELANS CUBANS, NICARAGUANS AND ECUADORANS, GUATEMALANS AND HONDURANS WOULDN’T BE FORCED TO EMIGRATE.”

AND THIS WASN’T LOPEZ OBRADOR’S FIRST TIME TO PUSH LEGALIZING MIGRANTS’ PRESENCE IN THE U-S. ONE YEAR AGO, HE PRESSED PRESIDENT BIDEN DURING A TRIP TO MEXICO CITY TO “REGULARIZE THE MIGRATION SITUATION” OF MILLIONS OF HIS FELLOW MEXICANS LIVING AND WORKING IN THE U-S.

“THE STATUE OF LIBERTY,” HE SAID, “SHOULD NEVER, EVER BECOME A VOID AND EMPTY SYMBOL.”
AND WHILE THE BIDEN ADMIN IS ASKING MEXICO FOR HELP WITH THE MIGRANT CRISIS – THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS SUING THE STATE OF TEXAS OVER A NEW IMMIGRATION LAW SET TO GO INTO EFFECT IN MARCH – MAKING IT A CRIME FOR MIGRANTS TO CROSS ILLEGALLY INTO THE STATE OF TEXAS FROM MEXICO.

[GOV. GREG ABBOTT / R-TEXAS]

“AND NOW THEY’RE SUING TO STOP THIS NEW LAW THAT I SIGNED. THIS LAW WAS CRAFTED IN A WAY TO ENSURE THAT IT WOULD BE CONSTITUTIONAL.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT SAYS PRESIDENT BIDEN REFUSES TO SECURE THE U-S SOUTHERN BORDER.

LAWMAKERS ARE BACK ON CAPITOL HILL THIS WEEK – AFTER THE HOLIDAY RECESS.

A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF senators is NEGOTIATING WITH THE WHITE HOUSE – OVER AN AID PACKAGE FOR UKRAINE – WITH ATTACHED FUNDING FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM.

REPUBLICANS WANT COMPREHENSIVE BORDER SECURITY – BUT HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN REACHING AN AGREEMENT WITH DEMOCRATS.

MAYORKAS – WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE senate TALKS — WAS IN EAGLE PASS, TEXAS MONDAY.

[SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS]

“WE NOW NEED CONGRESS TO DO THEIR PART AND ACT. OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS OUTDATED AND BROKEN AND HAS BEEN IN NEED OF REFORM FOR LITERALLY DECADES.”