Senator highlighted Arizona’s unique trade relationship with Mexico and underscored the current security and humanitarian crisis on Arizona’s border
MEXICO CITY – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema, along with bipartisan Members of Congress and America’s Ambassador to Mexico, traveled to Mexico City over the weekend and met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and other Mexican government officials. During meetings with President Obrador, the Chief Officer for North America at the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Sinema urged border security cooperation – underscoring the current security and humanitarian crisis on both sides of the border, while highlighting Arizona’s unique trade relationship with Mexico.
“Strong border security, healthy cross-border trade, and a fair immigration system all go together. Through cooperation with our Mexican counterparts and needed action by our federal government, we can – and must – achieve all three to keep Arizona families safe, promote a healthy economy, and ensure migrants are treated fairly and humanely,” said Sinema, Chair of the Senate Border Management Subcommittee.
As Chair of the Senate Border Management Subcommittee, Sinema discussed with the President and members of his cabinet efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs from coming into Arizona communities, and she urged cooperation between the United States and Mexico to address the serious security and humanitarian crisis on both sides of the border. The Senator highlighted how Mexico is Arizona’s largest trading partner – bilateral trade with Mexico was worth almost $20 billion in 2022 alone. Sinema underscored how strong border security, healthy cross-border trade, and a fair immigration system all go together and support both countries’ interests.
The Senator held additional critical meetings, including with the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico and the Chief Officer for North America at the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, to discuss economic trade, countering China, and migration. The Senator also received a briefing from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on their work to counter dangerous criminal networks smuggling drugs into Arizona communities.
The Congressional delegation to Mexico was led by Republican Senator John Cornyn (Texas), joined by Sinema, U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), along with U.S. Representatives Tony Gonzáles (R-Texas), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Verónica Escobar (D-Texas), and María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.).
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