Staff Reports
In a recent interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador made it clear that he has no intention of helping to stop the flow of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border. Instead of showing goodwill, he has presented a list of demands that can only be seen as extortion of the U.S. president, especially in an election year.
Mexico's president continues to lie about and extort the American people. @JoeBiden could stop all of this today, but he won't. https://t.co/0VVnmoVPYJ
— Pima County Republican Party (@RealPimaGOP) March 26, 2024
López Obrador’s actions came after a phone call with President Biden, where the US asked for Mexico’s help to contain the flow of migrants. Subsequently, the number of migrant crossings dropped by 50%, showing the impact the Mexican President can have if he decides to act.
According to López Obrador, his fix for addressing the root causes of migration involves asking the U.S. to commit $20 billion a year to poor countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. He also demanded the lifting of sanctions on Venezuela, an end to the Cuban embargo, and legalization of millions of law-abiding Mexicans living in the U.S. If the U.S. doesn’t comply, he has vowed that the flow of migrants will continue, almost like a threat.
Critics have been quick to condemn López Obrador’s actions, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling his policy suggestion absurd and emphasizing the urgent need to address the security and humanitarian catastrophe at the southern border. This so-called deal is viewed as nothing short of extortion, with calls for President Biden to confront Mexico and use leverage to secure the border.
Some have suggested retaliatory measures, such as cutting off foreign aid to Latin American countries enabling the invasion of the United States, imposing tariffs on Mexico, and levying heavy taxes on remittances to those countries. The sentiment is that weak American leadership has allowed other countries to believe they can dictate terms and take advantage of the situation.
In response to López Obrador’s demands, Representative Mark Green labeled it as extortion, while Congressman Juan Ciscomani criticized Biden’s foreign policy for emboldening other countries to make demands of the United States. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene went as far as calling it a “war,” emphasizing López Obrador’s ultimatum to meet his demands or face a continuation of the invasion.
With strong reactions from conservative figures, it’s clear that López Obrador’s actions are being viewed as an attempt to exploit the situation for Mexico’s gain, rather than working in good faith to address the border crisis. The call for decisive action to secure the border and push back against Mexico’s demands is growing louder among conservative voices.
