Biden presidency promises to reopen for migrants stranded in Mexico
For many Central and South American migrants, the Biden presidency gives rise to hope.
(illustrative image REUTERS / Adrees Latif
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
On Friday evening, Joe Biden met for the first time with Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The two heads of state have differing opinions on many issues but one thing brings them together: a desire for appeasement on the migration issue.
Biden's first engagements also arouse hope in many migrants from the continent, who hope to finally achieve the American dream.
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With our correspondent in Mexico,
Alix Hardy
Juan Carlos Valdés was leading a rather prosperous entrepreneurial life in Guatemala when racketeering gangs forced him to go out of business.
Left last year for the United States, he found himself blocked for many months on the way because of the chaos orchestrated in Mexico by the hardening of American migration policy.
“
There is a wall, but it is on the southern border of Mexico.
It is not a physical wall, it is economic blackmail by the United States to force Mexico to curb migrants.
Trump has closed the doors of the United States to Central Americans.
He used them as political cannon fodder.
"
For Juan Carlos,
Biden's coming to power
changes the game.
In just a few weeks, he will try his luck at the southern border of the United States to seek asylum there, hoping that admissions will no longer be paralyzed as they were under Trump.
“
In his inaugural address, Biden promised government for all.
He promised to give back their rights to undocumented migrants in the country, who are in reality cheap labor that works for everyone.
Migration reform has been needed for thirty years.
We, our hope, is that Biden concretizes his opening speech and finally takes into account us, the migrants.
"
Since Biden's inauguration, construction of Trump's famous wall
has officially ceased
.
The president also pledged to support a bill aimed at naturalizing some 700,000 young undocumented immigrants in the United States.
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To read also: United States: the immigration reform announced by Biden raises many hopes
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United States
Mexico
International Migration
Guatemala