A bipartisan group of members of Congress, including two from Arizona, is forming a new caucus focused on U.S.-Mexico relations.
The group of House representatives includes Reps. Greg Stanton and Juan Ciscomani from Arizona.
The new caucus will focus on “trade, security, and cultural cooperation,” Stanton, a Democrat, said in a press release.
Tension has been increasing between the United States and Mexico in recent weeks and months, after the death of two U.S. agents in the Mexican state of Chihuahua and the U.S. indictment of several Mexican public officials.
The creation of the caucus comes in the months ahead of the first mandated review of the USMCA, the trade deal that binds the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Mexico is Arizona’s largest trading partner. Billions of dollars cross the U.S.-Mexico border each year.
"This is a critical moment in U.S.-Mexico relations. Our two nations have so much to gain by drawing closer together — especially with the USMCA review on the horizon," said Stanton.
-
The move comes after a nearly yearlong ban of Mexican cattle into the United States to protect against the New World screwworm parasite. -
The San Luis port of entry from Sonora, Mexico, is Arizona’s westernmost border crossing, and could see delays for four to five months starting later this month. -
No cases of the flesh-eating New World screwworm parasite have been reported in Arizona, but USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in the state has recommendations for ranchers to protect against it. -
Mexican immigrants sent less money back to their country of origin last year, after 11 consecutive years of increased remittances, according to BBVA. Now, they appear to be increasing again. -
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says has confirmed the parasitic fly larva in a three-week-old calf in south Texas.
