US Denies Its Borders Are Free To Immigrants

JAKARTA - The Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States (US) Alejandro Mayorkas, has ensured that the US southern border is not open to irregular migration.

In his statement on Tuesday, Mayorkas said the US was developing a 'legitimate route' to regulate the flow of border crossings between the two countries. The statement comes as hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing violence and poverty in Central America and Mexico.

Mayorkas, who issued a statement while visiting Mexico City, Mexico, said that the United States and the Sombrero State are seeking steps to reduce irregular migration.

"We have challenged each other. It's not just a question the US is asking Mexico, it's a question of what we can both do," Mayorkas said.

Reiterating Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks to migrants during a visit to Guatemala last week, Mayorkas said the United States Government had sent a clear message to migrants, don't come.

He stressed the government was working on alternatives it described as a legitimate pathway, listing programs such as temporary worker visas and US investments to tackle violence, corruption and weak economies in countries with high migration rates.

"We are dedicated and always want to bring various types of assistance related to this problem," said Mayorkas.

However, critics say the US is sending a double message that could trigger further migration, after Kamala Harris described the United States as a safe haven for asylum seekers, just days after warning migrants they would be returned to the border.

Mayorkan also underlined that Health Order 42 related to COVID-19 issued during the Donald Trump administration, to slow migration during the pandemic, will remain in effect for health reasons.

During a meeting with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and other top Mexican officials, Mayorkas also discussed accelerating COVID-19 vaccination at the border, while working to lift travel restrictions related to the pandemic.

"The United States is not considering requiring so-called vaccine passports for crossings," he said.

For information, former president Donald Trump revealed he would visit the US-Mexico border in Texas with the state's governor Greg Abbott, after the two complained about an increase in migrants crossing into the United States.