The United States ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, warned this Friday that “a shakeup is coming” on the immigration issue between the United States and Mexico before Donald Trump’s return to the White House on January 20.
“In the Government and in politics nothing can be guaranteed, but surely a shock will come on January 20 and 21, but in the long term these issues have such a strong basis that I believe that they will be able to continue,” Salazar said in press conference.
The diplomat did not rule out that with Trump’s new immigration measures there will be massive deportations of migrants, including Mexican citizens.
“Deportations can actually happen because there is the law and the promises of the (Trump) campaign and what is seen every day on television in the United States that deportations are something that can happen,” he noted.
Read: Big Trump donors employ Mexicans without work visas, ‘The Guardian’ reveals
“We are not far from January 20, 2025 (…) another president (Trump) is coming who will have other priorities during his campaign and in the little we have seen, security is the main thing,” Salazar explained.
The Mexican Government has said in recent weeks that it was preparing to receive thousands of Mexicans living in the United States in case Trump carries out his intention to carry out mass deportations and has also indicated that it will take care of its compatriots, but not of migrants of other nationalities.
‘Border must be more modern, safe and efficient’
During his last conference in 2024 and one of his last as ambassador, Salazar stated that “Mexico is the most important country in the world for the United States” and said that “three belts of security and prosperity must be promoted to take advantage of the opportunities.”
Salazar highlighted places such as the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), the Mexico-Guatemala border and said that the shared border must be “more modern, safe and efficient.”
Precisely on the border between both countries, Salazar, who prided himself on knowing Mexico very well by frequently visiting several states, highlighted that the Governments of the two nations “have worked closely in recent years to achieve significant advances in security, prosperity and regional development”.
Read: Trump wants Europe to buy more American oil and gas if he does not want to face tariffs
He said modernizing border infrastructure “will not only help combat the illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons and people, but will also facilitate legal trade, reduce costs and time, and promote the economic integration of North America.”
From the CIIT, which visited at least three times, he stressed that the project “can strengthen supply chains and diversify trade routes, positioning North America as a leading region in global trade.”
Salazar acknowledged that there are currently “major concerns” about the future of the Mexico, United States, Mexico and Canada Agreement (USMCA) after Trump’s return to the White House, but he expressed confidence that the relationship between the three countries will continue.
Finally, regarding the Mexico-Guatemala border, he pointed out that “it is a key point for the security and prosperity of the region” and although important steps have been taken “it is necessary to modernize it and strengthen cooperation to address the fundamental causes of migration in Central America.”
With information from EFE
Follow us on Google News to always stay informed
