Mexico's new left-wing president spells trouble for border crisis

Mexico just made a bit of history this month. The country has elected their first-ever female president to lead the country. She will be the successor to outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and will carry the torch for the Democrat party in the country. While they might be celebrating a bit of history, the United States needs to brace for what is ahead now.

One expert in Latin America is now issuing a warning that Sheinbaum's tenure could be bad news for the U.S. border crisis. We already know how bad the crisis is at the moment. President Obrador did nothing to help with that. In fact, Obrador had the nerve to make demands to the United States last year in exchange for his border cooperation. That included lifting sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba, among other things.

Biden folded like a lawn chair and ended up making a deal with Obrador. However, the details were never made public, and no one still knows exactly how much the U.S. sacrificed in the deal. Even then, the deal did not work, as record numbers of immigrants continue flowing. So, coming off an already stubborn president, why is Sheinbaum such a threat to the stability of the border?

Policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation Andres Martinez Fernandez says the biggest problem is that Obrador and Sheinbaum are essentially two sides of the same coin.

"We are going to see a continuation of that lack of cooperation...where we really do not have a partner in these issues, and any support we can garner is heavily conditioned," he says.

It gets more concerning though. Sheinbaum is even more progressively left-wing than Obrador. She has a background of activism and hardline politics.

"I think there is an added ideological component to her policy instincts, which will make her more averse to cooperation on immigration, and other spheres," he says.

It is no secret that the U.S. and Mexico have never seen the border crisis the same. The country has done absolutely nothing to help the crisis, and usually encourage it. Well, that plus the cartels running the country.

Obrador though, even though he had ridiculous demands, at least came to the bargaining table. Sheinbaum might not even make that effort at all.

"If we see a shift against border enforcement at even higher levels, it will create a massive problem here...we will see a return to numbers like in December...with over 300,000 crossings," he says.

​Sheinbaum will not take office until October, but that leaves just enough of a window for Biden to fumble together another inexplicable agreement.

"They will do what they did again and try to give away the house as far as U.S. policies like fentanyl and trade to get some kind of narrow cooperation once again," he says.

Martinez Fernandez adds though that if Trump wins, he will be much tougher on Mexico and more aggressive. Which just might be enough to change Sheinbaum's tune.