International
Mexico to give temporary visas to Central Americans to work in public works
May 23 |
The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, announced this Monday that his government will grant one-year temporary visas to Central Americans to work in the country’s public works, such as the Mayan Train, one of the most emblematic constructions of his administration.
“This week I am going to present a program for our Central American brothers with the purpose that they can have temporary visas to work in public works in Mexico, that they can be legally in our country with temporary work visas,” informed the president in his daily press conference.
“Wages are also increasing in our country, in the Mayan Train operators, drivers, workers, are already earning better, because there is more demand for employment, so companies are paying more. These are attractive salaries to come, work for 15 days and return,” he explained.
Last Saturday, López Obrador continued, he received a letter from his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, congratulating him for the work done on the immigration issue and expressing his commitment to invest more in Central America and the Caribbean.
“We are working together,” the Mexican president assured about this type of immigration policies, which he said still need to be “fine-tuned”.
“It is not right to be rejecting migrants when there is a need for labor force. If not, how will there be growth? There are places in the United States where there are no workers,” he added.
López Obrador admitted that the public works promoted during his six-year term, among which the Mayan Train and the inter-oceanic corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec stand out, are also in need of labor.
“We need many ironworkers, welders, even engineers, professionals,” he stressed.
For the Mayan Train, which will run through the southern region of Mexico and is scheduled to be inaugurated next December, he added that the government is sending drivers or mechanics to Europe for training.
The public works, which López Obrador has turned into the flagship projects of his Administration, have been surrounded by controversy due to the role of the Armed Forces in their construction and management, framed in a series of strategies that have boosted the militarization of the country.
The environmental impact and the impact on the indigenous communities that the Mayan Train will have has also been criticized, effects that the Government has denied.
Regarding potential workers coming from Central American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, from where many migrants arrive to Mexico in search of crossing to the United States, López Obrador did not clarify the procedure they will have to follow to obtain a temporary work visa.
International
U.S. Proposes Higher Citizenship Fees and Limits on Immigration Fee Waivers
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed increasing fees related to citizenship applications, while also seeking changes to programs that reduce or waive immigration-related costs for certain applicants.
The proposal would eliminate fee waivers and reduced-fee programs for immigrants whose household incomes are at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.
However, the changes would not take effect immediately. Before receiving final approval, the proposal must go through a 60-day public comment period, allowing individuals and organizations to submit feedback.
DHS justified the proposed increases by stating that the goal is to fully cover the costs associated with processing citizenship and naturalization applications.
“Although the Department of Homeland Security has historically limited form fees to promote naturalization, the agency no longer considers that these applications should have lower costs at the expense of other immigration benefits,” the department said in the proposal document.
If approved, the reform would modify the current immigration fee structure and could impact thousands of applicants who rely on financial assistance programs to complete their citizenship process.
U.S. authorities said the measure is part of a broader review of immigration service fees and the mechanisms used to fund the administration of these programs.
International
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes History as First Player to Score in Six World Cups
Cristiano Ronaldo made football history on Tuesday by becoming the first player ever to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.
The Portuguese forward opened the scoring in Portugal’s Group K match against Uzbekistan in Houston. Just six minutes into the game, Ronaldo found the back of the net with a right-footed strike from inside the box, sending the Portuguese fans into celebration.
The “Commander” sparked excitement throughout the stadium with his iconic celebration, as supporters joined in with his famous “Siuuu!” chant to honor another milestone in the career of one of football’s greatest stars.
At 41 years old, Ronaldo has now scored in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022, and North America 2026. With his two goals in this tournament, he has surpassed Lionel Messi’s record, as the Argentine has scored in every World Cup he played except South Africa 2010.
The Portuguese captain has also reached nine World Cup goals, matching Eusébio as Portugal’s all-time top scorer in the history of the tournament.
Ronaldo’s achievement came just one day after Messi also made history by becoming the outright leading scorer in World Cup history, reaching 18 goals after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria.
With his appearance at the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has also extended another remarkable record by becoming the first player to participate in six consecutive editions of the tournament, further cementing his legacy as one of the most influential players in football history.
International
Mbappé Ties Klose on All-Time World Cup Scoring List After Brace Against Iraq
Kylian Mbappé moved another step closer to World Cup history on Monday, scoring twice against Iraq to reach 16 career goals in the tournament and draw level with German legend Miroslav Klose on the all-time scoring chart.
The French forward found the net in the 14th and 54th minutes of France’s Group I clash in Philadelphia, registering his second consecutive brace of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mbappé’s achievement came on the same day that Argentina captain Lionel Messi set a new all-time World Cup scoring record. The Argentine star scored twice against Austria to raise his career total to 18 goals, surpassing the previous mark of 16 held by Klose.
Klose established his record on July 8, 2014, during Germany’s historic 7-1 victory over Brazil in the World Cup semifinals in Belo Horizonte.
Before facing Iraq, Mbappé was tied with German striker Gerd Müller on 14 World Cup goals. His first goal of the match lifted him to 15, drawing level with Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazário.
The second strike moved the Real Madrid forward to 16 goals, allowing him to surpass Ronaldo, match Klose’s tally, and position himself just two goals behind Messi in the race for World Cup immortality.
The match also marked a personal milestone for Mbappé, as he made his 100th appearance for the French national team.
At 27 years old, the French superstar remains firmly in pursuit of Messi’s newly established record and continues to strengthen his legacy as one of the most prolific scorers in World Cup history.
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