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• U.S. Department of State
• University of North Texas Libraries

Summary

This report, which will be updated periodically, focuses on the interactions between Mexico and the United States on migration and border issues during the administrations of President George W. Bush and President Vicente Fox of Mexico. These discussions have been sustained despite less-than-expected progress following the terrorist attacks upon the United States in 2001 and disagreements over policy in Iraq in 2003. The discussions and agreements fall predominantly into three areas: (1) the bilateral migration talks, (2) the Partnership for Prosperity, and (3) the Border Partnership Agreement. These topics will be addressed in a trilateral fashion when Mexican President Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Martin meet with President Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, on March 23, 2005. The bilateral migration talks were initially announced at the Presidents' first meeting in February 2001, and they were more formally reviewed in early September 2001. At that time, the Presidents instructed the high-level working group chaired by the U.S. Secretary of State and Attorney General and the Mexican Secretaries of Government and Foreign Relations "to reach mutually satisfactory results on border safety, a temporary worker program and the status of undocumented Mexicans in the United States . . . as soon as possible." The talks stalled, however, following the terrorist attacks upon the United States and increased concerns with border security. Even so, in late 2004 and in early 2005, U.S. and Mexican spokesmen maintained that migration issues would receive renewed emphasis in 2005. President Bush urged immigration reform in his State of the Union address on February 2, 2005, and the House approved immigration and identity card standards when it passed H.R. 418, the REAL ID Act of 2005, on February 10, 2005. The Partnership for Prosperity (P4P) was launched in September 2001 as a public-private alliance of Mexican and U.S. governmental and business leaders to promote economic development in Mexico, especially in areas with high migration rates. By the end of 2004, following various meetings, Secretary of State Powell noted that P4P programs had lowered fees for transferring funds from the United States to Mexico, brought together more than 1,400 business and government leaders, and developed innovative methods to finance infrastructure projects. The Border Partnership ("Smart Border") Agreement was announced in March 2002. It called for enhancing border security by utilizing technology to strengthen infrastructure while facilitating the transit of people and goods across the border. When Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge and Secretary of Government Santiago Creel met in February 2004 to review partnership progress, they signed an action plan for cooperation to promote border safety and a memorandum on the humane repatriation of Mexican nationals to their home towns. The leaders also committed to develop eight new Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) lanes for pre-screened, low-risk individuals at six ports of entry, and to develop new Free and Secure Trade (FAST) lanes for pre-cleared cargo at five ports of entry.

Related Legislation:
• H.R.418

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