US President Joe Biden Lands at AIFA

US President Joe Biden arrived in Mexico aboard the Air Force One, which landed at Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) on Sunday for the 10th Summit of North American leaders. This is the first time the new airport has received an aircraft from the US. Prior to his arrival, Biden visited the US-Mexico border for the first time since taking office, tackling one of the most politically charged issues between both countries. 

Biden had announced weeks ago that he would arrive in Mexico for the summit at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) but switched to AIFA following President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s request. Last week, the Foreign Ministry confirmed the arrival of President Biden at AIFA. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to arrive at AIFA today. 

Biden was received in Mexico by President López Obrador, Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard, the Mexican Ambassador to the US Esteban Moctezuma, and the US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, according to the Mexican Government’s press release.

During the morning press conference, López Obrador stated that Biden praised AIFA as a great airport, adding that Biden understood the desire for the Air Force One to land in this new facility. López Obrador also told President Biden that AIFA was built to replace an expensive project and that the decision has been questioned by the Mexican opposition. López Obrador and Biden returned to Mexico City aboard the US President’s official vehicle, known as The Beast. The convoy of 22 vehicles was heavily guarded by US and Mexican security personnel.

Biden arrived in Mexico after making a stop at El Paso, Texas, which marks his first visit as president to the Mexican border, a region he had been avoiding for two years in the face of criticism from the Republican opposition. According to Reuters, Biden toured a section of the wall that divides the two countries, a priority of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, in an effort to demonstrate that he was taking the issue seriously. Biden said his administration would tighten immigration enforcement by blocking Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants at the border, expanding the nationalities of those who can be expelled back to Mexico. The new immigration plan presented by Biden, and applauded by the Mexican government, contemplates issuing 30,000 humanitarian permits per month to Venezuelan, Cuban, Nicaraguan and Haitian migrants who have a sponsor to pay for their stay in the US. On the other hand, those crossing the border without a permit will be immediately returned to Mexico and banned from entering the country for five years.

Biden and López Obrador allegedly spoke briefly on the subject at AIFA without giving any statement to the press