Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has called on the US for major immigration policy reforms as police in neighboring Guatemala have blocked thousands of migrants.
Lopez Obrador said he hopes the newly elected US President Joe Biden will agree to work on the issue with Mexico and other countries.
About 7.000 migrants, mostly from Honduras, entered Guatemala.
They hope to travel to Mexico and eventually reach the US border.
Every year tens of thousands of Central American migrants try to reach the US, often on foot, in groups known as "caravans".
They say they are fleeing persecution, violence and poverty in their home countries. The reason for leaving is the poor living conditions, which were worsened by the destruction of two huge hurricanes that hit Central America in November 2020.
On January 18, Lopez Obrador called on the US to reform its immigration policy.
"I think the time has come to deliver on the commitment [for immigration reform] and that's what we're hoping for," he said.
"Joe Biden campaigned to end immigration reform and I hope he's able to do that. That's what I'm hoping for."
The Mexican president said his government would try to dissuade migrants from crossing into Mexico, but added that the rights of all migrants must be respected.
In Guatemala, on January 18, security forces broke up a caravan of about 4.000 mostly Honduran migrants camping near the village of Vado Hondo.
Witnesses said that police officers, hitting batons against shields, tried to force the group back in the direction of the Honduran border, about 50 km away.
The migrants dispersed, but a few threw stones at the police, who responded by firing tear gas.
The caravan has been held up in the area since Saturday and has blocked a key road, causing major traffic jams. Clashes broke out on January 17 when some of the migrants tried to break through the police cordon.
Speaking to reporters, Guatemalan Foreign Minister Pedro Brolo called on the Honduran government to help ensure "an orderly and safe passage home for those in this caravan."
Outgoing US President Donald Trump has taken a hard line against illegal immigration, particularly along the southern US border with Mexico. He also pressured Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to deny access to migrants.
Biden, on the other hand, has promised to end his predecessor's strict immigration policies, but his administration, which will take office on January 20, has warned migrants not to travel because policies will not change overnight.
A US administration official told NBC News that migrants trying to claim asylum in the US "must understand that they will not be able to come to the United States immediately."
The Biden administration will give priority to undocumented immigrants already living in the US, rather than those traveling into the country now, the official said, the BBC reported.
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