US President Joe Biden will seek Mexico's help tackling illegal flows of migrants and drugs, particularly deadly opioids, during a visit beginning Sunday for a North American leaders' summit.
Aiming to tame criticism over what he has called a "broken" immigration system, Biden will stop off in Texas for his first trip to a border overwhelmed by record numbers of migrants and asylum-seekers.
The issue is almost certain to top the agenda when Biden meets Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday, a day before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joins them for the so-called "Three Amigos" summit.
Another priority for Biden is stepping up joint efforts to fight trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs behind an addiction crisis in the United States.
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"Mexico is extremely relevant and important in dealing with both acute issues, which have become political vulnerabilities for Biden," Michael Shifter, a senior fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, told AFP.
On Thursday, Washington announced that up to 30,000 qualifying migrants a month would be allowed into the United States from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela if they arrive by plane.
The quota will be restricted to those who already have a US sponsor, while those attempting to cross the border illegally will be expelled in coordination with Mexico.