President Obama IThe White House announced Monday that he will travel to Toluca, Mexico, on Feb. 19 for a North American summit.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said President Obama will also be joined by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in the three-way meeting.
The three will discuss “a wide range of issues important to the daily lives of all North Americans, including economic competitiveness, entrepreneurship, trade and investment, and national security.”
Asked about the president's security in light of the State Department's travel advisory against Americans traveling to the region of Mexico, Carney said only, “The president is looking forward to traveling.”
The talks are likely to touch on not only immigration, but also trade and security-related issues.
Mexican leaders are pressuring the United States to enact comprehensive immigration reform, including measures to legalize the status of about 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, including people of Mexican origin.
President Obama has made immigration reform one of his priorities for his second term, but a bipartisan bill that passed the Senate has stalled in the House due to opposition from conservative lawmakers who oppose what they consider an “amnesty” measure for illegal immigrants. I'm stuck.
The three countries are also participating in the 12-nation trade talks aimed at establishing the Pacific Rim Free Trade Area. Negotiators were unable to reach an agreement in December, but trade ministers from participating countries vowed to continue talks.
