International

Sheinbaum forgets the migratory issue on her first visit to the northern border as president

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, visited the border this Saturday for the first time since she took office, where she practically forgot about people on mobility and the migratory situation in the northern region of the country.

Despite the fact that in recent days various activists, civil organizations and municipal authorities demanded significant changes in migration policies, the president did not mention a word about it and even avoided the meeting with the press.

Sheinbaum visits the border

The president was received by a large group of supporters at the Rosarito Beach Convention Center, located about 25 kilometers from the Tijuana border, where she offered a speech focused on the presentation of her welfare programs.

During her speech, President Sheinbaum limited herself to saying that, with the Fourth Transformation, “we claim Mexican workers and in particular our brothers who live on the other side of the border, who are heroes and heroines of the homeland.”

“(People) who do not abandon their families, who do not abandon our country, because that is how we Mexicans are, we love each other, we help each other, that is the strength of the people of Mexico,” he said.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

Continuity of social programs

On other issues, Sheinbaum took advantage of his visit to the border to reaffirm the continuity of the welfare programs promoted by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

“Thanks to our senators and deputies, who are also servants of the nation and the people, all the programs will continue; the universal pension, support for young people, pension for people with disabilities,” he said.

In addition, he recalled his campaign promises, and anticipated three new welfare programs, “corresponding to the second floor of the transformation”: support for women between 60 and 64 years old, public school students up to the basic secondary level, which implies all public school students up to secondary level; and the home-to-home health care program for older adults.

In addition, he recalled his commitment to install pharmacies in each Banco del Bienestar branch from the second quarter of next year, so that “people can go there to pick up their free medicines.”

“Those are the three main programs, but we are also going to build a million homes throughout the country, in addition to bookkeeping,” he said.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

Judicial reform is not authoritarianism

Regarding judicial reform, Sheinbaum said that “on June 1st of next year we will elect the judges, magistrates and ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, because now they say that we are authoritarian, but how are we going to be authoritarian, if what we want is for the people to elect the Judiciary.”

“It is the mandate of the people and the president of the Republic is to fulfill that mandate,” he insisted, amid suspensions by judges, accusations for attacking judicial independence and Sheinbaum’s argument that it is impossible to stop the application of the most recent judicial reform to elect judges

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.