Laredo Mayor: Mexico Doesn’t Have a Strong Incentive to Help with Migrants Because Our Asylum Policies Are Lax

On Thursday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” Laredo, TX Mayor Treviño said that while he thinks the meetings between Mexican and American officials will change the dynamic on the border, Mexico doesn’t have much of an incentive to stop migrants coming through their country due to the fact that America’s asylum policy lets tons of asylum seekers in and that while we need Mexico’s help, “because of our current immigration policies, they’re probably not working that well.”

Co-host Boris Sanchez asked, “So, when it comes to the situation that you’re seeing on the ground, how do you think these meetings between the U.S. and Mexico, the ones that were had this week, the ones that are upcoming next month, how do you think they might change the dynamic that you’re facing in your town?”

Treviño answered, “I think they will. It’s primarily because Mexico has the same problem that the U.S. has. These migrants come from South America, not from Mexico. So, they’re having to deal with the problem and they are looking at incentives being — of having asylum here in the U.S. So, Mexico says, how can we stop that if the asylum is being given to them? What is the incentive for Mexico for using their resources, when [we’re] just letting everyone — everybody in for claiming asylum? We need Mexico’s help in intercepting these caravans, and because of our current immigration policies, they’re probably not working that well. But I think those meetings are important to get some solutions.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett