WASHINGTON, April 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Joe Biden’s top official for the Mexican border, where US authorities are struggling to stop a huge flow of undocumented migrants, will step down, the White House said Friday.
Roberta Jacobson, officially known as coordinator for the Southwest Border at the National Security Council, will leave “at the end of this month,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.
According to Sullivan, Jacobson had committed to serving only for Biden’s first 100 days, which expire on April 30.
However the departure comes as the administration is struggling to handle waves of migrants — and to fend off criticism that it has lost control of the situation.
Jacobson was tasked with dealing with the governments in the Northern Triangle area of Central America, where most of the migrants come from. That role, however, was passed to Vice President Kamala Harris last month.
Sullivan said Jacobson succeed in “having shaped our relationship with Mexico as an equal partner, having launched our renewed efforts with the Northern Triangle nations of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and having underscored this administration’s commitment to reenergizing the US immigration system.”
The entry of Harris into the politically tricky issue is “a testament to the importance this administration places on improving conditions in the region,” Sullivan said.
On Thursday, official data showed that apprehensions of undocumented migrants on the US border with Mexico soared 70 percent in March to 172,331, hitting the highest level in 15 years. — NNN-AGENCIES