Obama Administration Unveils Border Security Policy on Eve of Secretary Clinton's Trip to Mexico
Tomorrow, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to Mexico to meet with President Felipe Calderón and other top Mexican officials. And most likely, she will be taking with her the new Obama Administration plan for security on the U.S-Mexico border, which was unveiled today. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg and United States Deputy Attorney General David Ogden presented the "U.S. - Mexico Border Security Policy" this morning, which is guided by two objectives: preventing violence from spilling over the border and helping President Calderón crack down on drug cartels in Mexico. The plan outlines the United States' commitment to "work with its Mexican partners, to support the Mexican government's campaign against the violent cartels, and to reduce contraband in both directions across the border." In addition to the $700 million already allocated to Mexico under the Mérida Initiative, the plan includes increased Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Treasury personnel and efforts directed at the Southwest border and a renewed effort to reduce the demand for illegal drugs in the United States. According to the Los Angeles Times' coverage of the new plan, "Obama also could deploy National Guard troops to the U.S. Mexico border if the violence appears to be overwhelming the response of civilian authorities, although administration officials have portrayed this as a worst-case scenario." Instead of targeting lax U.S. gun regulations that allow for the sale of high-powered automatic weapons, the new plan only aims to stop the transfer of weapons at the border by increasing the number of officers and agents on the border and enhancing the use of technology at ports of entry. And in terms of reducing the demand for drugs in the United States, the plan doesn't go much farther - only re-announcing that $5 billion have been committed in the previous year for initiatives to reduce illicit drug use (part of the Mérida Initiative), that the Obama Administration would like to integrate substance abuse services into the national healthcare system, and that the "FY09 Omnibus includes $63.9 million for drug courts that bring judicial, law enforcement, and treatment communities, as well as other social and public services together with the goal of breaking a non-violent offender’s drug addiction." In addition to discussing the United States' commitment to securing the border and helping fight drug cartels in Mexico, trade - especially NAFTA - will most likely be high on the agenda for Secretary Clinton's trip. Congress recently cancelled funding for a pilot program that would allow Mexican trucks to travel on U.S. highways and Mexico retaliated last week by imposing tariffs on a wide-range of U.S. goods. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that the Obama Administration wants to assemble a proposal to resolve this dispute before President Obama visits Mexico in mid-April. However this dispute, as well as Mexico's concern that the United States is going to continue to backslide on NAFTA in light of the current economic situation (and both Obama's and Clinton's campaign promises to renegotiate NAFTA), will still remain main points of discussion. Other topics that may be addressed, according to State Department Spokesman Robert Wood, include "the situation in the hemisphere ... and how we can further spread prosperity throughout the hemisphere as well as ensure that democracy ... continues to take a firm hold in the region." Today at 4:00, the State Department held a press briefing to preview Secretary Clinton's trip to Mexico, which will most likely provide even more insight into who, in addition to President Calderón, she will be meeting with and what topics will be on the agenda.