
US Vice President Kamala Harris said in a press conference that she spoke with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador about addressing the root causes of mass migration from Central America to the United States.
“If we are to address the issues that impact the southern border of the United States, and I’ve had a conversation with President Lopez Obrador about also the southern border of Mexico, we have to have the ability to address the root causes of why people leave,” Harris said on Tuesday.
Harris said most migrants are fleeing their home in the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras due to crime or poverty.
The two leaders also discussed issues related to easing travel restrictions between the two countries and whether Mexico will increase temporary work visas for migrants.
Harris noted that she and Lopez did not discuss the Trump-era policy known as Title 42, which allows the US government to immediately turn back asylum-seeking migrant adults and families at the southern border due to coronavirus concerns.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants have been migrating to the United States illegally to request asylum in recent months, according to data from US Customs and Border Protection.