Mexican president says working with US to secure borders in wake of Title 42 ending

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has announced his cooperation with US President Joe Biden to secure Mexico's borders and prevent "chaos and violence" in the wake of the lifting of Title 42.

At a press conference, Lopez Obrador said the Mexican government is working with Biden's administration to address the wave of migrants headed to cross the shared border between the two countries on Thursday, which marks the end of the controversial public health order.

It was implemented by former President Donald Trump to expel migrants from their territory immediately citing the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the command of the Mexican president, National Guard troops were deployed in the southeast region to protect the cities bordering Guatemala in collaboration with the police-military hybrid.

According to Lopez Obrador, the National Guard has been instructed not to use force against migrants. Their presence at the border is aimed at avoiding conflicts that could fuel anti-migrant sentiment within some factions of the US government.

"We have to act in a cautious manner, avoid confrontation because they [US Republicans] are betting on that they would like to generate a major conflict, so we have to be vigilant to avoid violence, and we can do that by informing the people, protecting the migrants, pointing out the provocateurs," said Lopez Obrador.

In Mexico's northwest, authorities in the state of Tamaulipas implemented "operation mirror," a reinforcement of migratory and police checkpoints in seven cities bordering the US to deter potential migrants from trying to cross the border by land.

The US government expelled 2.7 million migrants under Title 42 since its implementation in March 2020.