- Title: Mexico "worried" about families being separated at border: foreign minister
- Date: 9th March 2017
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MARCH 9, 2017) (REUTERS) ZOOM-IN ON MEXICAN FOREIGN MINISTER LUIS VIDEGARAY PREPARING TO GIVE REMARKS AT THE MEXICAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ZOOM-IN ON MEXICAN FOREIGN MINISTER LUIS VIDEGARAY SAYING: "The motive behind our meetings today in Washington was a very specific one; it was to express to the U.S. government our grave concern to the possible policy announced by the U.S. government to separate Mexican families at their arrival (to the U.S.-Mexico border). It's a concern that we've already expressed in the past to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and that today, in a very direct way, we've expressed to the White House. Mexico reiterates that we're absolutely prepared to come to good agreements; to have a dialogue that is always constructive with the American government as long as they respect fundamental principles, among those, in the first place, the human rights of Mexican men and women in the United States. We believe that separating families upon their arrival (to the U.S.)-- independent of the reasons that motivated a policy of this nature-- represents an attack on integrity of the fundamental unity of society, which is the family. We've expressed to several White House officials this concern of ours within a conversation occurring within the framework of a broad, serious and respectful conversation in which the Mexican government has said very clearly what are its principles and objectives, and of course what our limits are. I want to affirm as well, and this is with reference to some media reports I've come across today, that we've also reiterated to the White House our clear rejection to the unilateral actions of the U.S. towards Mexico, and I'm referring specifically to the intention, that according to memoranda from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security which would open up the possibility to -- or better said the U.S. intention to -- deport to Mexico nationals from other countries. The decisions about who enters Mexico are taken by Mexico and Mexico alone." FOREIGN MINISTER VIDEGARAY
- Embargoed: 23rd March 2017 23:06
- Keywords: Luis Videgaray Mexican foreign minister Mexican embassy in Washington
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C, UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001678PLC7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray told Washington on Thursday (March 9) that the main reason for his visit was to express concern over proposal that migrant mothers could be separated from children at the border.
Videgaray, after meeting with Senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, told reporters at the Mexican embassy in Washington, D.C. that he opposes any plan to separate families as a matter of fundamental human rights.
Women and children crossing together illegally into the United States could be separated by U.S. authorities under a proposal being considered by the Department of Homeland Security, according to three U.S. government officials.
Part of the reason for the proposal is to deter mothers from migrating to the United States with their children, said the officials, who have been briefed on the proposal.
"The motive behind our meetings today in Washington was a very specific one; it was to express to the U.S. government our grave concern to the possible policy announced by the U.S. government to separate Mexican families at their arrival (to the U.S.-Mexico border). It's a concern that we've already expressed in the past to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and that today, in a very direct way, we've expressed to the White House," he said.
"We believe that separating families upon their arrival (to the U.S.)-- independent of the reasons that motivated a policy of this nature-- represents an attack on integrity of the fundamental unity of society, which is the family," Videgaray added.
The Mexican foreign minister Videgaray also reiterated that Mexico alone will decide which deportees it will accept. The U.S. unveiled plans in late February to consider almost all illegal immigrants subject to deportation, and will seek to send many of them to Mexico if they entered the United States from there, regardless of nationality. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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