Mexico on Monday said it would reject a U.S. idea to take in all Central American asylum seekers if it is raised at talks this week with Trump administration, which has threatened to impose tariffs if Mexico does not crack down on illegal immigration.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the country is committed to continuing to work to keep illegal immigrants from Central America from reaching the U.S. border.
However, he said a more radical proposal favored by some U.S. officials to designate Mexico a “safe third country,” which would force Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States to instead apply for it in Mexico, is not an option.
“An agreement about a safe third country would not be acceptable for Mexico,” Ebrard told reporters in Washington. “They have not yet proposed it to me. But it would not be acceptable and they know it.”
Ebrard will meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the talks, which will also involve other senior officials.
In a possible sign of U.S. priorities in the talks, which are due to run through at least Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan said on Sunday that Mexico should deploy more personnel to stop illegal immigrants along a remote, jungly stretch of border with Guatemala.
McAleenan also said Mexico should bolster its own immigration screenings along that border, crack down on criminal networks transporting migrants and enable more migrants to wait in Mexico while they apply for asylum in the United States.
Approval of a deal to revamp the NAFTA free trade agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada is also pending and could be hampered by the latest dispute over immigration, said Jesus Seade, Mexico’s deputy foreign minister for North America.
Goldman Sachs’ economists cut their chances that the new USMCA trade agreement - which must be passed by the three countries - will be ratified this year to 35% from 60% previously.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...e-talks-on-trumps-tariff-threat-idUSKCN1T41KU