Former US ambassador says Biden woke up too late on border crisis

Key Points:

• Former Cabinet Secretary and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar criticizes the Biden administration for responding too late to the border crisis, citing a lack of urgency, strategy, and communication that allowed Republicans, including Trump, to capitalize politically on the issue.
• In his book "Borderlands," Salazar argues U.S. foreign policy has long neglected Mexico and the Americas by focusing too much on Europe and Asia, a mindset he says continues to hamper effective border and migration management.
• Salazar advocates for appointing a dedicated "border and migration czar" to coordinate efforts across agencies and improve communication, a role he unsuccessfully pushed for during his ambassadorship.
• He proposes a "Borderlands Platform" calling for a New American Alliance between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, emphasizing security cooperation, labor mobility, and economic integration while treating immigration as both a national security and economic issue.
• While acknowledging the border is "broken," Salazar rejects Trump's divisive approach, urging more comprehensive legal frameworks and cooperation, and has advised Democratic presidential hopefuls to prioritize border and migration policies in future campaigns.