Jul 4, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Mexican leaders call for tighter border control as COVID-19 cases increase in U.S.

Rashaan Ayesh

Commuters line up to cross to the United States at the San Ysidro crossing port in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico. Photo: Guillermo Arias/AFP/Getty Images

Mexican leaders are calling for stronger enforcement on its northern border as the number of coronavirus cases in the southwestern U.S. continues to rise, The Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: Mexico worries the growing number of COIVD-19 cases in the U.S. could threaten their communities' own safety and ability to combat the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of people living in the U.S. have continued to cross into Mexico during the pandemic, the Post notes.

The state of play: The U.S. has only allowed individuals who aren't citizens or residents but have jobs considered crucial to enter the country during the pandemic. Mexico has not done much to vet those entering, but governors are calling on the central government to do so, per the Post.

What they're saying:

Javier García Cabeza de Vaca, the governor of Tamaulipas state, said, "The situation is very bad in Texas and [cross-border travel] would only bring us problems in northern Tamaulipas." He tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week.
Enrique Clausen, Sonora state’s health minister, said, “It’s so important to implement the necessary measures to protect the health of Sonorans. And one of them, at this moment, has to be reducing the border crossings from the United States toward Mexico.”

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Mexican leaders call for tighter border control as COVID-19 cases increase in U.S.

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