A recent article published by  the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), an independent, nonpartisan immigration policy think tank, discusses the complex interplay between U.S. immigration policies and the necessary cooperation of neighboring countries, most notably Mexico, in effectively managing migration flows. The main focus is the understanding that while the United States may have strict domestic policies regarding immigration, their effectiveness depends to a large extent on the cooperation of other countries, especially Mexico.

The authors of the article, Chishti and Putzel-Kavanaugh, highlight the importance of Mexican cooperation in migration management, since the 2000s, with programs such as the Mérida Initiative and the Frontera Sur Program, “to drastically increase enforcement on its border with Guatemala, create checkpoints throughout the country, monitor the use of the railways by migrants (particularly the famous La Bestia lines often used by Central Americans) and increase their ability to deport”. It also discusses the agreements, such as the MPP (Migrant Protection Protocols), between the U.S. and Mexico – in 2018 and 2019, due to the increase in unauthorized migration from Central America – that had significant implications on migration management, but also faced criticism for human rights issues, especially when the program was interrupted with more than 81,000 people enrolled, for not having due process and “for forcing migrants to wait in often dangerous areas in northern Mexico, without access to basic needs”.

According to the text, "the Mexican government has combined these law enforcement efforts with investments to strengthen its asylum system and create opportunities for orderly immigration through labor and other legal avenues. Under the Frontera Sur Program, Mexico increased apprehensions of Central Americans, ultimately aiding U.S. interests, although critics also alleged human rights abuses by Mexican officials.

In addition, the article analyzes the challenges faced by the United States in removing migrants deemed ineligible to remain in the country, due to the need for cooperation from countries of origin in accepting returnees.

The removal process can be complicated or made impossible if relations are frosty between the United States and the country of origin or if that country lacks a functioning government or has severely limited resources. The U.S. government formally refers to countries that refuse or delay removals as “recalcitrant,” a designation applied to 13 countries as of 2020, including China, Cuba, India, and Russia. Another 17 countries—including Algeria, Ethiopia, Israel, and Yemen—were deemed at risk of noncompliance. More recently, the United States negotiated Venezuela’s cooperation in accepting returnees, but the deal fell apart in February after Washington reimposed sanctions amid the Maduro regime’s failure to live up to fair election pledges”. To pressure countries to accept returns, the U.S. government has threatened to impose tariffs and placed diplomats on no-fly lists.

A significant portion of the article explores emerging regional cooperation efforts, such as Safe Mobility Offices, aimed at providing legal pathways for migration and refugees, as well as the challenges faced by these efforts:

“One early result of this emerging cooperation is the establishment of Safe Mobility Offices (SMOs) in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala. The overarching goal of the SMOs is to bring legal migration pathways and humanitarian protection closer to people’s origins, thereby negating the need for them to travel irregularly across the continent to the U.S. border. While the U.S. government is the chief proponent of the SMOs, the Canadian and Spanish governments also are participating and offering legal pathways for some migrants. Each SMO is operated jointly by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and serves specific populations”.

The article concludes by underscoring the need for a broader collaborative approach to migration management, recognizing that changing migration patterns require cooperative strategies among countries. By offering a detailed and critical analysis of the interconnectedness between U.S. immigration policies, the cooperation of neighboring countries, and the complexity and challenges faced in managing migration flows. It also highlights the importance of a regional and cooperative approach to address these ever-evolving challenges.

In the year of presidential elections for both the United States and Mexico, the future of this cooperation between the two governments and in the entire region is uncertain and yet even more important.