Biden to meet with leaders of Mexico and Canada in Mexico City next month

President Biden will visit Mexico City next month for a summit with other North American leaders, the White House confirmed Tuesday.

Biden will meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Jan. 9 and 10, 2023, national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby said next month’s summit will “build on the progress from the last one, with concrete initiatives” focused on climate and the environment, migration, diversity and inclusion and increasing North America’s economic competitiveness.

Biden is expected to meet one-on-one with López Obrador, followed by a trilateral meeting that includes Trudeau.

Next month’s gathering in Mexico City will mark just the second North American Leaders’ Summit since the Obama administration. Biden hosted the leaders of Mexico and Canada at the White House last year for the North American Leaders Summit.

Migration will likely be a top focus of the summit next month, with Biden facing pressure from Republicans and some Democrats to do more to stem the flow of migrants coming across the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The Biden administration is readying for the lifting of pandemic-era border restrictions under a policy known as Title 42, which critics worry will lead to a surge in migration that the U.S. is unready to handle. The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the policy would remain in place for now.