According to the Associated Press, the majority of Mexicans are expressing support for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s decision to crackdown on Central American migrants.
“The truth is that it is a problem for everyone. It’s better that they be sent back to their countries,” Jorge Parada Leon, a Mexico City message delivery worker told the AP. “Crossing Mexico the way they do is dangerous, a lot of them have died … they should fix the problems they have in their home countries.”
When the first caravan got a warm welcome in October, Mexicans were almost evenly split on whether Mexico should stop migrants from other countries from entering without proper documents. https://t.co/jX1wAz0xf5
— KRIS 6 News (@KRIS6News) July 8, 2019
One Mexican government worker expressed that the president “should focus on the people instead of being compassionate with the migrants who come from other countries. He should support the (Mexican) people. And the others? Well, let their governments take care of their own people.”
According to AP, 61.5 percent of those polled support cracking down on the migrants and only 33 percent opposed such policies.
The AP also noted that López Obrador’s approval rating has remained high, at about 66 to 72 percent, after he decided to get tough on the caravans in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threat.
“A few days ago we were able to overcome a possible economic and political crisis, by means of an immigration agreement that requires us to be stricter in enforcing immigration laws,” López Obrador said. “We have established a relationship of respect and friendship with the people and government of the United States and this has allowed us to avoid confrontation that wouldn’t benefit anyone.”
Nor are these attitudes among Mexicans necessarily new. From 2018:
Mexicans' support for migrant caravan drops sharply, poll finds https://t.co/i3ATFbHqk3 … via @nbcnews
— GIJOE ABN (@gijoe_abn) November 27, 2018
Mexicans Value Their National Sovereignty
Not only has President Trump’s pressure on Mexico worked, but that country’s citizens obviously also value their national sovereignty as much as anyone else anywhere in the world.
Millions of Americans have cried out for someone to do something about the illegal immigration problem for many years, and now President Trump finally is.
It’s no surprise Mexicans would support their president for doing something about it too.