Last week, Secretary Napolitano met with Mexican Secretary of the Interior Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, furthering the collaboration between the United States and Mexico on our shared responsibility for issues related to migration, border security, and facilitating legitimate travel and trade.
“The threats we face increasingly cross international boundaries, and strong international partnerships are critical to the region’s security,” said Secretary Napolitano. “We are committed to working with our partners in Mexico to facilitate legitimate trade and travel while securing and managing our borders.”
During their meeting, Secretaries Napolitano and Osorio Chong discussed the ongoing partnership and cooperation between the United States and Mexico to ensure a safe and secure border region, which is critical to both nations’ economic competitiveness and national security.
Secretaries Napolitano and Osorio Chong also signed several arrangements to enhance law enforcement collaboration along our shared border, as well as to identify and share best practices related to emergency management.
Additionally, Secretaries Napolitano and Osorio Chong highlighted the ongoing bilateral commitment to ensuring effective enforcement of both nations' immigration laws, specifically thorough institutionalization of the Interior Repatriation Initiative (IRI). This initiative, announced as a pilot program in October 2012, provides humane, safe and orderly repatriation of Mexican nationals to the interior of Mexico and ultimately to their hometowns, instead of returning them to towns on the U.S.-Mexico border.Last week, Secretaries Napolitano also met with Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Jose Antonio Meade Kuribreña to discuss the shared commitment of both nations to ensuring the region's security, including collaborating on the enforcement of both nations’ immigration laws, enhancing information sharing, developing programs and initiatives to facilitate legitimate travel and trade, and continuing efforts to ensure a more safe, secure and resilient global supply chain.