US, Mexican Officials Discuss Efforts To Simplify Immigration Screening - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th March, 2020) US and Mexican government officials during a border security summit in Mexico City discussed efforts to expand ports of entries and simplify immigration screening at the border, the State Department said in a press release.

"To facilitate the movement of commercial goods and travelers between the two countries, in 2020 both governments expect to implement low-cost, high-impact strategies to simplify customs and immigration screening and reduce wait times," the release said on Wednesday.

The two sides also adopted a plan to expand ports of entries along the US-Mexico border and strengthen public safety cooperation in the border region.

In addition, the two sides committed to increasing security cooperation at the border through "better-coordinated" enforcement activities.

The US delegation was led by Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau and Homeland Security Under Secretary James McCament. The bilateral summit was hosted by Under Secretary for North America of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jesus Seade.

Last week, a US appeals court temporarily blocked the Trump administration's Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, which requires asylum-seeking migrants to wait in Mexico during their immigration proceedings in the United States. More than 56,000 migrants have been subject to this policy.