United States: The US president Mr. Joe Biden has visited the US-Mexico border for the first time since taking office.

The visit followed a recently announced policy initiative by the Biden administration, which was meant to address a rise in undocumented border crossings.

Earlier, Mr. Biden stated that his administration would tighten immigration enforcement by blocking Cuban, Haitian, and Nicaraguan migrants at the border, expanding the nationalities of those who could be expelled back to Mexico.

The Democratic president has been dealing with the politically charged issue since taking office, with Republican critics charging the administration has been too lenient and rights groups criticising the newly announced measures for putting asylum seekers’ lives at risk.

The visit to El Paso, Texas, took place as Mr. Biden travelled to Mexico, where he is set to meet president Mr. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador before attending a three-way summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Mexico City.

During the visit, Mr. Biden watched a demonstration of border officers in El Paso on how they search vehicles for drugs, money, and other contraband. The president further inspected a section of the tall fencing along the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez.

In addition, joined by secretary of Homeland Security Mr. Alejandro Mayorkas, the president visited the Bridge of the Americas, which connects the United States and Mexico, as well as viewed equipment that border officials use to detect illegal drugs.

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