US border wall construction cancellation welcomed by Mexico

US President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel construction of the US border wall with Mexico has been welcomed by Mexican President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who described it as ‘good decision.’ Biden recently announced that his administration would be developing a US visa system for Mexican and Central American migrants.

During a news conference at the national palace in Mexico City, Lopez Obrador, said: “It is an issue that we celebrate because the wall has been under construction for some time ... so it is a historical step.”

Biden recently rescinded the national emergency order made by Trump that was used to fund the border wall. In a letter to Congress, the 46th US President wrote that the order was ‘unwarranted’ and that no further US tax dollars will be spent on the controversial wall.

Cooperation and development

The Mexican President said that rather than building walls, the US should join his government’s initiative of cooperation and development. Lopez Obrador claims that a better way to stop mass migration is to tackle the poverty that drives immigrants to pursue a better life elsewhere.

Obrador urged the US to establish a legal pathway for the entry of migrants from Mexico and Central America because the US needs Mexican and Central American workers.

In recent months, the flow of mostly undocumented migrants to the US southern border with Mexico has slowed amid border closures to stop the spread of coronavirus. According to official data, immigration numbers dropped between April and June 2020.

According to several analysts, the issue of immigration will be a major challenge for bilateral relations between Mexico and the US in the wake of Donald Trump’s hostile US immigration policies.

Emergency declaration

Trump’s national emergency declaration to fund the wall, by accessing monies set aside for the US military, allowed him to bypass the usual political process he would have needed to follow.

It’s understood that just 80 miles of a new wall – where none existed before – were built during Trump’s time in office. A further 400 miles of a border wall were erected to replace existing parts of the structure.

Following Mr Biden’s announcement that the border wall would be cancelled, Arizona Democratic Congressman Raúl Grijalva wrote on Twitter: “Trump’s national emergency was never about security. Now we must cancel the contracts and ensure that not another foot of the border wall is constructed.”

Perhaps inevitably, Biden’s decision has drawn criticism from former Trump aides, including his previous campaign advisor, Jason Miller, who wrote on Twitter: “Biden loves illegal immigration.”

While Biden has sought to overturn many of Trump’s controversial US immigration policies, his administration did announce that some Trump-era policies would remain – including a policy that allows border officials to summarily expel undocumented immigrants amid the coronavirus pandemic.

White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, said: “Due to the pandemic and the fact that we have not had the time, as an administration, to put in place a humane, comprehensive process for processing individuals who are coming to the border. Now is not the time to come, and the vast majority of people will be turned away.”

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