This article originally appeared in The Dispatch on June 6, 2024.
Late in the evening of June 2, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo stormed to victory in the Mexican presidential election, becoming the first woman elected to that office.
On the surface, she could hardly have asked for better circumstances. While we don’t have a final count yet, Sheinbaum appears poised to take nearly 60 percent of the vote—trouncing her nearest rival by more than 30 points—and gain a congressional supermajority. She will assume office with the blessing of her popular predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), and with virtually all levers of government under the control of her party, Morena.
Despite these advantages, Sheinbaum will need to quickly make difficult decisions to address several key issues. Of these, perhaps none will be as consequential—both for her country and the United States—as what to do with Mexico’s immigration policies.
Sheinbaum’s vague immigration platform.
In the leadup to her victory, Sheinbaum tried to clarify her distinctions from AMLO, who has been the face of the Mexican left for nearly a quarter-century. But on immigration, among other issues, she appears poised to continue his policies rather than develop her own.
Like her soon-to-be predecessor, Sheinbaum sees poverty as the root cause of hemispheric migration. During presidential debates, she even stressed that if the U.S. wants Mexico’s help in managing migration flows, it’ll have to provide economic assistance to the region.