Roberta Jacobson to step down as Southern United States Border Coordinator

The White House coordinator for the border with Mexico, Roberta Jacobson will step down at the end of this month, at the height of the arrival of undocumented immigrants to the border area.

“Ambassador Jacobson made a commitment from the start to work on the First 100 days of administration (of President Joe Biden), and therefore, she will step down as coordinator at the end of this month “White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement Friday.

Jacobson, who was ambassador to Mexico between 2016 and 2018, also assured that his engagement with the Biden government has always been temporary and he has denied that it was the boom in undocumented immigrants arriving at the border., which reached its highest level in 20 years in March.

“I’m leaving full of optimism. The direction of politics (immigration that Biden has adopted) is clearly the right one for our country“Jacobson said in a newspaper interview The New York Times.

The Known informally as the “Border Czar,” he also dismissed the fact that his next march was tied to Biden’s decision to give Vice President Kamala Harris the task of curbing irregular migration. from Central America, in addition to coordination with El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

“I worked to help the vice president lead on this issue, and no one could be more delighted than me to see you take on this role. It has nothing to do with my decision, ”he told the newspaper Jacobson, also responsible for Latin America at the State Department under the Barack Obama administration (2009-2017).

The diplomat had not yet mentioned her intention to leave the government at the end of April and, in another interview two weeks ago with The New York TimesHe said he was planning to visit Central America to discuss how to address the root causes of irregular migration.

His departure came as a surprise as it was announced a day after the US government revealed a record number of arrests. undocumented immigrants at the border, with more than 172,000 in March, including nearly 19,000 minors, a historic record.

The official statement on his departure suggests that probably there will be no new coordinator for the southern border at the White House, recalling that Biden has tasked Harris with leading contacts with Mexico and Central America, “a sign of the importance” he attaches to the issue.

Jacobson’s duties will likely be divided between Harris, the leader of Latin America at the White House, Juan González, and the head of the North Central American Triangle at the State Department, Ricardo Zúñiga.

Sullivan claimed that during his time in the White House, Jacobson “shaped relations with Mexico as an equal ally, undertook a renewal of initiatives with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras” and underscored the government’s commitment to “revitalize the immigration system” in the United States.

The White House struggles to contain the flow of migrants across the southern border with Mexico, creating an initial challenge for Biden. The United States sent a mixed message to the region, noting that the border is closed but saying it will provide safe haven for unaccompanied children.

With information from EFE and Reuters

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