Mexico has deployed additional security forces to its southern border with Guatemala in anticipation of an increase in the number of people seeking to enter the US. This comes as a pandemic-era policy that facilitated the US expulsion of migrants to Mexico expires. Despite enforcing measures to continue restricting border crossings, such as requiring migrants to compete online for limited appointments or seek asylum in other countries first, the US is still expecting a surge in the number of people seeking to enter the country.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has pledged to support US President Joe Biden's efforts to prevent chaos and violence on the border. He said that people should not run the risk of crossing Mexico, especially because of the risky and inhumane transportation methods used by smugglers. He also stated that Mexico had made the decision to send an unspecified number of National Guard personnel independently of the US and had maintained guardsmen along with immigration authorities in its southern states to aid in restricting the movement of undocumented migrants.
The immigration offices near the Guatemala border have seen a high number of people arriving from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Haiti in recent months. Many of these individuals are aiming to eventually reach the US. False information about the consequences of the sunsetting of the US's policy, under a health measure known as Title 42, continues to be a concern for Mexico as officials predict it will lead more people to travel. Mexican authorities have warned that smugglers are offering to take people to the border for $8,000 to $10,000, claiming that they will be able to enter freely, which is a lie.
In northern states, Mexico has said that it will continue to accept migrants returned from the US for "humanitarian reasons." A spokesperson for the National Guard did not immediately respond to questions about the number of additional troops being deployed to the southern border.