New El Salvador President Nayib Bukele marks a "big shift" for the country's government and has taken responsibility for the country's part in the immigrant migration crisis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday.
"We want him to control those who are leaving his country," Pompeo told Fox News' "Fox and Friends."
"You know, he owned up yesterday in our press conference. He said look, migration is because of the things we've not done — the things the government has failed to do for its own people. That's a sea change."
The move is a "good first step," said Pompeo, because it shows the country's "deep political will to work alongside the United States."
Bukele, though, gets the issue "in ways the previous government down there didn't," said Pompeo. "I'm hopeful we can work together to achieve America's goal along our southern border."
Meanwhile, Pompeo has also met with Mexico Foreign Secretary Marcelo Casaubon about the work that the two countries are doing to secure their borders.
"We've made real progress," said Pompeo. "We signed an important historic agreement back in the beginning of June and we've seen real progress since then. The numbers are down significantly. There's a long way to go. We have to make sure we maintain it but the Mexican government has put thousands of soldiers on their southern border. They've worked hard with our Department of Homeland Security, our great men and women of ICE, the CBP to assist in making sure that those who come to America come here legally."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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