US diplomat warns of great consequences for migrants at border who don't choose legal pathways
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar has warned that migrants who do not opt for a legal pathway into the United States will face consequences
MEXICO CITY (AP) — U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar warned Thursday that migrants who do not opt for a legal pathway into the U.S. will face great consequences, a message coming at a time when the Biden administration needs Mexico’s cooperation in easing the flow of migrants to their shared border.
Salazar told reporters that the number of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border has dropped since U.S. President Joe Biden implemented changes last week aimed at making it more difficult for those seeking asylum. But he did not specify by how much the number of migrant encounters had dropped.
“If they don’t arrive in a legal manner, there will be consequences,” he said. “They will be returned to their home countries and will not be allowed into the United States for five years.”
Biden’s executive order would limit asylum processing once encounters with migrants between ports of entry reach 2,500 per day. It went into effect immediately because the latest figures were far higher, at about 4,000 daily.
