/ Modified aug 11, 2021 10:26 a.m.

Top Mexican official says loosening of border restrictions unlikely this month

Foreign secretary cites surge in coronavirus cases on both sides of the border.

Marcelo ebrard march 2019 VIEW LARGER Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard speaks at a press conference in this photo published March 28, 2019.
Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs

It’s been nearly a year and a half since northbound crossing restrictions went into place on the U.S.-Mexico border, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be easing this month.

After a phone meeting with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said he doesn’t think a loosening this month is “feasible.”

Suggesting otherwise would be “feeding an expectation that we have no basis to say will be carried out,” he added.

One reason he cited was the surge in coronavirus cases on both sides of the border.

He also said that the restrictions would be a topic of his Tuesday afternoon talks with the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. But during the meeting with Harris, Ebrard said the U.S. committed to another sizable vaccine donation, this time a combined 8.5 million doses of Moderna and AstraZeneca.

Fronteras Desk
Fronteras Desk is a KJZZ project covering important stories in an expanse stretching from Northern Arizona deep into northwestern Mexico.
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