WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with officials in Mexico, with Canada next, in his first trip “abroad” Friday, raising questions about when the three countries will lift restrictions on “non-essential” travel at the borders put in place nearly a year ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The nation’s top diplomat took a virtual tour of the Paso del Norte bridge – a crucial link between the downtowns of El Paso in Texas and Ciudad Juárez in Mexico – before “crossing” into to the neighboring country to meet with Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard and Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier
Blinken concluded his tour by highlighting the port of entry as the “fourth largest manufacturing hub in all of North America,” pointing out that 1.3 million people crossed the bridge last year.
“There are many historical ties between residents in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. They’re neighbors,” he said. “In some ways, it’s one binational community.”
But while the administration is taking a “new approach” to regional migration, the secretary urged those seeking to cross the border to be patient.
“To anyone thinking about taking that journey, our message is: don’t do it,” he said. “President Biden is committed to reforming our immigration system and ensuring safe, orderly and humane processing at our border. Those things will take time.”
Blinken will later meet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Minister Marc Garneau. President Joe Biden met virtually with Trudeau on Tuesday in his first bilateral meeting, but the two leaders made no mention of plans to restore cross-border operations.
The Department of Homeland Security announced last week that the United States, Canada and Mexico agreed to keep their land borders locked down through at least March 21, which marks the one-year anniversary of initial border closures over COVID-19.
The closures, which apply to all land and sea borders, have been extended every month since. Technically, Americans can still fly to either country, though Canada has made that option more difficult.
People traveling from the U.S. to Canada are required to prove they are traveling for essential reasons and must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Canada also requires a negative COVID-19 test for those traveling by plane.
The secretary of state’s first foreign trip is usually a symbolic jaunt marked by pomp and circumstance, but Blinken but rather than traveling abroad he’s meeting with foreign counterparts via video teleconference in Washington.
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The border restrictions have been devastating for binational communities, dividing families whose lives bridge an international border and hurting businesses dependent on the cross-border traffic.
The Trump administration billed the restrictions, which took effect at midnight March 21, 2020, as a ban on “non-essential” travel to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In practice, it effectively prevented Mexican nationals holding tourist visas from crossing.
In El Paso and Laredo, Texas; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Nogales, Arizona; and Calexico, California, the policy has left shops empty of the Mexican customers who often buy wholesale to sell in retail shops back home. The effects ripple out to communities beyond the border that have historic ties to Mexico, from Phoenix to Albuquerque and Dallas.
Mexico is the United States’ second largest trading partner in goods and second largest export market for goods. Two-way trades in goods totaled $538.1 billion last year, according to a fact sheet provided by the State Department.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki hinted during Thursday’s news briefing that the administration may reveal more plans on reopening the borders.
“I do…