The Fifty-first State

  The land border restrictions introduced in March, 2020 due to  Covid-19  —and extended every month since then— have been extended again.  The land border between the United States and Mexico will now remain restricted to ‘essential’ crossings only until  at least   April 21st, 2021 .  Air travel between the United States and Mexico remains unrestricted.

US authorities arrested and encountered more than 100,000 migrants on the US-Mexico border over the past four weeks ending  The number of migrants arrested on the southern border has been increasing in recent weeks, causing alarm among officials as they scramble to provide resources for the increase in minors and families who are unlawfully crossing into the US.

  US President Donald Trump says a deal has been struck with Mexico to stem the flow of migrants into the US. Punitive tariffs on Mexican goods that were due to come into effect Monday have been “suspended indefinitely.” “I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico,”  Trump tweeted Friday. He said that the agreement would allow the US to   “greatly reduce, or eliminate, Illegal Immigration coming from Mexico and into the United States,”  without providing details. A high-ranking Mexican delegation arrived in the US on Wednesday to thrash out an agreement after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on all Mexican goods, starting at five percent. He called Mexico an   “abuser”  of the US for its supposed reluctance to stop caravans of illegal migrants streaming to the US-Mexican border.

  US President Donald Trump’s efforts to “humiliate” Mexico could result in the country withdrawing its cooperation in combating the flow of drugs into the US, Mexico’s former secretary of foreign affairs has warned. During a CNN interview on Sunday, Jorge Castañeda said Mexico has helped the US fight the stream of drug traffic from South America only because they had built a “friendly, trustful relationship.” However, he warned that “if that relationship disappears, the reasons for cooperation also disappear.”