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Biden in Mexico for talks on migrants, drugs

Photo: Jim Watwon / AFP

January 9th | By AFP | Daniel Rook |

A regional migration and drug smuggling crisis is expected to dominate talks between US President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday.

Biden arrived in Mexico City late Sunday after a politically charged stop at the southern US border — his first since taking office.

He will meet Monday and Tuesday with Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau one-on-one and also together in what is dubbed the “Three Amigos” summit.

While trade and environmental issues are also on the table, Biden has put a surge in irregular migration and dangerous drug trafficking front and center of his trip, his first to Mexico as president.

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“Our problems at the border didn’t arise overnight,” Biden tweeted after his arrival.

“And they won’t be solved overnight. But, we can come together to fix this broken system. We can secure the border and fix the immigration process to be orderly, fair, safe, and humane.”

Lopez Obrador, who joined Biden in his armored limousine for the journey from the airport, called for increased investment in the region so that people are less likely to flee their countries.

“Opportunities must be guaranteed to citizens, to workers of all countries in their places of origin,” he told reporters.

‘Where are our rights?’

On his way to Mexico, Biden stopped for several hours in El Paso, Texas, a city at the heart of the troubled border.

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He met with US officials at the Bridge of the Americas crossing, watching a demonstration of the latest border enforcement technology, as well as a customs sniffer dog.

He later got out of his motorcade to inspect a section of the tall fencing that snakes between El Paso and its twin city Juarez on the Mexican side.

“They need a lot of resources. We’re going to get it for them,” Biden told reporters after his visit to the customs post.

Just ahead of Biden’s arrival in Mexico, a line of migrants, some with children in their arms, were deported from El Paso to Ciudad Juarez, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

Venezuelan Jose David Melendez told AFP that he had been apprehended by border guards at a church where he was taking refuge.

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“The police officers from the border patrol came and hit us, made us run, pointed guns at us, pointed at children with firearms. Where are our human rights?” the 25-year-old said.

Biden is under political pressure in the face of spiraling illegal border crossings and applications for asylum.

Adding to the crisis has been a surge in cross-border smuggling of the highly addictive and often deadly narcotic fentanyl.

Biden’s visit sought to respond to Republican accusations that he has been ignoring the situation.

On Thursday Biden announced an expansion of powers to expel people showing up at the border without clearance.

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At the same time, a legal, strictly enforced pathway will be created for up to 30,000 migrants a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

The quota will be restricted to those who already have a US sponsor, while anyone attempting to cross the border illegally will be expelled in coordination with Mexico.

Human rights groups harshly criticized this as closing the door on desperate people, but the Biden administration says its actions will essentially kill the market for human smuggling networks, while encouraging legitimate arrivals.

Cartel violence

In 2021, the United States and Mexico announced a revamp of their fight against drug trafficking to address the root causes of migration, encourage economic development and bolster curbs against cross-border arms smuggling.

Mexico is plagued by cartel-related bloodshed that has seen more than 340,000 people murdered since the government deployed the military in the war on drugs in 2006.

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Days before Biden’s visit, Mexican security forces captured a son of notorious drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence at a US prison.

The United States had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Ovidio Guzman’s arrest, accusing him of being a key player in the Sinaloa cartel founded by his father.

Climate change and cooperation in clean energy technologies will also be on the summit agenda, with Mexico hoping to benefit from Washington’s efforts to reduce its reliance on Asia-based manufacturers.

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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.

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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.

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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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