Pompeo is urged to reunite migrants

Associated Press

MEXICO CITY

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Friday urged a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to quickly reunite migrant families separated at the border.

Pena Nieto called for “a permanent alternative that prioritizes the well-being and rights of minors” and expressed concern over a recent attack on a 92-year-old Mexican man legally residing in California, a statement from the presidency said. The man was reportedly beaten by a woman with a brick and told, “Go back to your country.”

Pena Nieto said such incidents “encourage a climate of hate and racism that we must avoid.”

Pompeo was visiting Mexico with Cabinet-level officials to meet with both Pena Nieto and president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador after a sea-change election that could offer a chance for the neighbors to repair strained relations.

Discussions were expected to address ways to combat transnational criminal organizations, the U.S. opioid epidemic and trade tensions. But irregular migration across Mexico’s northern border into the United States also loomed large.

White House adviser Jared Kushner accompanied Pompeo, as well as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.