With over 98 million eligible voters, around 70,000 candidates, and over 20,000 public offices up for contention, Mexico's general election scheduled for June 2 is set to become the largest in the country's history.

For the first time in history, the country is likely to elect its first female president. The two front-runners are both women – Claudia Sheinbaum&nbsp;of the Morena party, who is backed by the governing coalition Sigamos Haciendo Historia, and Xóchitl Gálvez, who is backed by a coalition of opposition parties.

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Mexico's election gains significance as it coincides with the US presidential election, an event that occurs once every 12 years, and arrives during a period of transition in the relationship between the two nations.

“The years when all the US wanted a safe and stable Mexico are over. Now it is also interested in a country with good public policy,” said Rafael Fernández de Castro Medina, director of the Center for US-Mexico Studies at the University of California, San Diego, pointing to the increasing number of Latinos in the US and the two countries’ growing ties.

Here why the US-Mexico relationship will be influenced by Sunday’s vote.

<h2>The economy</h2>

Mexico became United States’ top trading partner last year, surpassing China and Canada.

According to experts, this is because of geopolitical issues like pandemic, the legacy of Trump’s trade war against China, and the war in Ukraine.

The rearrangement of supply chains nearer to home enhanced US imports from Mexico and its investment in the country.

Central to enabling this shift was the establishment of the USMCA trade agreement, which was implemented in 2020 among Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

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However, Mexico’s compliance with the USMCA has been a subject of disagreement between the administration of Mexico’s current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and those of both US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump.

“The next president of Mexico will have to deal with a series of legal disputes that the United States, supported by Canada, has filed within the framework of the USMCA,” said Lila Abed, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center.

“From López Obrador’s ban on the import of transgenic corn for human consumption; the shift towards a nationalist energy policy, which has affected US investments in electricity and hydrocarbons, as well as the little importance given to clean energies,” Abed said.

<h2>Migration</h2>

While migration across the countries’ is a shared concern, the matter is much lower on Mexican politicians’ agenda than in the US.

According to Carin Zissis, editor-in-chief of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas website, “the speeches of Sheinbaum and Gálvez on migration are neither very strong nor very unlike from each other, nor do they address too much what to do with migrants in the country."

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"Evidence of this lies in the focus during the recent presidential debate, where the discussion of migration primarily centered on Mexican migrants residing in the US. Candidates addressed this issue to appeal to potential voters north of the border and the sizable and influential Latino community, largely fueled by remittances," she added.

¨Trump didn’t have to build the wall because Mexico is the wall,” said Zissis.

She said the next Mexican government will need to assume responsibility for large migrant population.

(With inputs from agencies)

With over 98 million eligible voters, around 70,000 candidates, and over 20,000 public offices up for contention, Mexico's general election scheduled for June 2 is set to become the largest in the country's history.

With over 98 million eligible voters, around 70,000 candidates, and over 20,000 public offices up for contention, Mexico's general election scheduled for June 2 is set to become the largest in the country's history. For the first time in history, the country is likely to elect its first female president. The two front-runners are both women – Claudia Sheinbaum of the Morena party, who is backed by the governing coalition Sigamos Haciendo Historia, and Xóchitl Gálvez, who is backed by a coalition of opposition parties. Also read: Biden condemns Trump for labeling hush money verdict as 'rigged' Mexico's election gains significance as it coincides with the US presidential election, an event that occurs once every 12 years, and arrives during a period of transition in the relationship between the two nations. “The years when all the US wanted a safe and stable Mexico are over. Now it is also interested in a country with good public policy,” said Rafael Fernández de Castro Medina, director of the Center for US-Mexico Studies at the University of California, San Diego, pointing to the increasing number of Latinos in the US and the two countries’ growing ties. Here why the US-Mexico relationship will be influenced by Sunday’s vote. The economy Mexico became United States’ top trading partner last year, surpassing China and Canada. According to experts, this is because of geopolitical issues like pandemic, the legacy of Trump’s trade war against China, and the war in Ukraine. The rearrangement of supply chains nearer to home enhanced US imports from Mexico and its investment in the country. Central to enabling this shift was the establishment of the USMCA trade agreement, which was implemented in 2020 among Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Also read: Pro-Palestinian protesters storm Brooklyn Museum police arrest several However, Mexico’s compliance with the USMCA has been a subject of disagreement between the administration of Mexico’s current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and those of both US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump. “The next president of Mexico will have to deal with a series of legal disputes that the United States, supported by Canada, has filed within the framework of the USMCA,” said Lila Abed, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center. “From López Obrador’s ban on the import of transgenic corn for human consumption; the shift towards a nationalist energy policy, which has affected US investments in electricity and hydrocarbons, as well as the little importance given to clean energies,” Abed said. Migration While migration across the countries’ is a shared concern, the matter is much lower on Mexican politicians’ agenda than in the US. According to Carin Zissis, editor-in-chief of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas website, “the speeches of Sheinbaum and Gálvez on migration are neither very strong nor very unlike from each other, nor do they address too much what to do with migrants in the country." Also read: Trump hush money case verdict: Ex-US prez supporters call for riots "Evidence of this lies in the focus during the recent presidential debate, where the discussion of migration primarily centered on Mexican migrants residing in the US. Candidates addressed this issue to appeal to potential voters north of the border and the sizable and influential Latino community, largely fueled by remittances," she added. ¨Trump didn’t have to build the wall because Mexico is the wall,” said Zissis. She said the next Mexican government will need to assume responsibility for large migrant population. (With inputs from agencies)

Why Mexico’s election holds greater significance than ever for the US

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday inked into law SB 4, which arms the state's law enforcement with the authority to arrest individuals suspected of crossing the US-Mexico border without proper authorisation.&nbsp;

With this, the powers typically held by the federal government shift to local officers, a move that's sure to spark legal battles.

<h2>What is SB 4?</h2>

Set to become effective in March 2024, SB 4, as per Reuters, establishes a new state offence for illegal entry or re-entry into Texas. It carries penalties ranging from a 180-day stint behind bars to a hefty 20-year prison term.&nbsp;

Texas magistrate judges are now mandated to instruct migrants to return to Mexico, and those refusing to comply face severe consequences, potentially landing them a two-decade sentence.

While existing federal laws already allow charges for illegal entry or re-entry, Governor Abbott said that President Joe Biden's "deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself." He made the statement&nbsp;during a press conference in Brownsville, Texas.

To underscore the state's commitment to bolstering border security, Governor Abbott also signed a bill that allocates $1.5 billion for border wall construction and associated operations. This adds to $5 Billion in state funds appropriated for border enforcement.

This comes on the heels of a late November law that Abbott signed which ratcheted up penalties for human smuggling.

<h2>Legal battles loom</h2>

Threatening to sue Texas over SB 4, Oni Blair, executive director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said the law "overrides federal immigration law" and "fuels racial profiling."

Previously, in 2012, the US Supreme Court struck down key parts of a similar Arizona law, including&nbsp;one that allowed state officers to arrest people suspected of being in the US illegally.

<h2>Increase in migrants</h2>

Since Biden took over office in 2021, the number of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border has reached a record high. Abbott and his fellow Republicans blame Biden and his dismantling of the stringent policies implemented by former President Donald Trump for the increase in numbers.

To express their displeasure, Abbott, and other Republican leaders also bussed thousands of migrants to Democrat-controlled cities.&nbsp;

Texas also started Operation Lone Star, which employed a range of deterrents, including National Guard deployment, concertina wire barriers, and a controversial floating barrier over a segment of the Rio Grande.&nbsp;

However, a recent ruling by A three-judge panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals mandated that Texas must remove the floating barrier. The state is seeking a review.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday inked into law SB 4, which arms the state's law enforcement with the authority to arrest individuals suspected of crossing the US-Mexico border without proper authorisation.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday inked into law SB 4, which arms the state's law enforcement with the authority to arrest individuals suspected of crossing the US-Mexico border without proper authorisation. With this, the powers typically held by the federal government shift to local officers, a move that's sure to spark legal battles. What is SB 4? Set to become effective in March 2024, SB 4, as per Reuters, establishes a new state offence for illegal entry or re-entry into Texas. It carries penalties ranging from a 180-day stint behind bars to a hefty 20-year prison term. Texas magistrate judges are now mandated to instruct migrants to return to Mexico, and those refusing to comply face severe consequences, potentially landing them a two-decade sentence. While existing federal laws already allow charges for illegal entry or re-entry, Governor Abbott said that President Joe Biden's "deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself." He made the statement during a press conference in Brownsville, Texas. To underscore the state's commitment to bolstering border security, Governor Abbott also signed a bill that allocates $1.5 billion for border wall construction and associated operations. This adds to $5 Billion in state funds appropriated for border enforcement. This comes on the heels of a late November law that Abbott signed which ratcheted up penalties for human smuggling. Legal battles loom Threatening to sue Texas over SB 4, Oni Blair, executive director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said the law "overrides federal immigration law" and "fuels racial profiling." Previously, in 2012, the US Supreme Court struck down key parts of a similar Arizona law, including one that allowed state officers to arrest people suspected of being in the US illegally. Increase in migrants Since Biden took over office in 2021, the number of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border has reached a record high. Abbott and his fellow Republicans blame Biden and his dismantling of the stringent policies implemented by former President Donald Trump for the increase in numbers. To express their displeasure, Abbott, and other Republican leaders also bussed thousands of migrants to Democrat-controlled cities. Texas also started Operation Lone Star, which employed a range of deterrents, including National Guard deployment, concertina wire barriers, and a controversial floating barrier over a segment of the Rio Grande. However, a recent ruling by A three-judge panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals mandated that Texas must remove the floating barrier. The state is seeking a review.

Texas empowers local officers to arrest suspected illegal migrants

The French government defended a new immigration bill as &quot;completely balanced&quot; on Wednesday despite criticism from rights groups and some ruling party lawmakers that it will lead to thousands of extra deportations.

The draft law, which criminalises illegal border crossings and speeds up procedures to deport economic migrants, was presented to the cabinet of President Emmanuel Macron for the first time.&nbsp;

It has sparked widespread anger from NGOs, who have branded it repressive, but the centrist government insists it is creating a more efficient system to sift out genuine refugees from those simply seeking a better life in France.

&quot;It`s a well-balanced law, in line with European law above all, and it is absolutely necessary that countries like Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden have the same type of procedures,&quot; Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told a press conference.

Macron, the 40-year-old centrist elected last May, says the new policy aims to balance &quot;efficiency&quot; with &quot;humanity&quot;, but the issue has become one of the most divisive of his young presidency.

He has highlighted how the law would offer faster asylum procedures for refugees and improve their lives once accepted in France, but some members of his Republic on the Move (LREM) party have broken ranks.

The bill doubles the time that failed asylum seekers can be held in detention to 90 days -- a move aimed at making it easier to deport them -- and halves the amount of the time applicants have to mount appeals.&nbsp;

&quot;The most vulnerable will be punished,&quot; warned Jean-Michel Clement, an MP who joined the LREM after switching from the Socialists.

Some workers at France`s refugee protection office Ofpra went on strike in protest on Wednesday, branding the bill &quot;an unequivocal departure from France`s tradition of asylum&quot;.

They joined staff at the asylum court who have been on strike for nine days over their working conditions, with immigration lawyers also raising concerns over aspects of the draft law.

The bill will be introduced in parliament in April, with debate expected to last several weeks.

While leftwingers see it as too punitive, the right-wing opposition has labelled it too soft. French voters consistently cite immigration as a top concern, and the issue helped far-right nationalist leader Marine Le Pen to win 34 percent of the vote in the presidential election last year.

Much of her rhetoric focused on the risk of France being &quot;swamped&quot; by foreigners from Africa.

&quot;If we don`t take on this problem, we will not be able to guarantee the right to asylum in France anymore,&quot; Collomb said at the press conference.

The country received a record 100,000 asylum applications last year and offered refugee status to around 30,000 people, official figures show. Forced expulsions numbered 14,900.

NGOs have lashed out in particular at the tougher conditions for failed asylum seekers.&nbsp;

&quot;We`re asking for it to be withdrawn,&quot; the Cimade migrants` charity said of the bill. &quot;We`re not even in favour of fighting for changes to the bill, because the philosophy behind it is just too repressive.&quot;&nbsp;

The government said it is also considering proposals on how to better integrate newcomers, including doubling the number of hours of French lessons they get and allowing asylum seekers to work.

The bill also aims to cut the average waiting time on asylum applications from 11 months to six, although staff at the asylum court have raised concerns that the tighter turnaround on cases will make it more difficult to appeal.

A heated parliamentary debate last week on a separate law on taking in &quot;Dublin&quot; migrants -- those whose asylum claims are registered in other EU countries -- provided a window on how the issue has split Macron backers.

The government has already had to abandon a controversial proposal to deport failed asylum-seekers to third countries deemed &quot;safe&quot;.&nbsp;

Plans by Collomb to carry out immigration checks in homeless shelters have also come under fire in recent weeks.

Left-wing Liberation newspaper noted that while polls showed voters backing tougher immigration laws, the relocation of thousands of migrants to towns and villages nationwide in 2016 went off largely without a hitch.

&quot;The French say they are worried, wary and want conservative migration policies. But once they get to know refugees they also want them to be welcomed,&quot; the paper wrote in an editorial.

The draft law, which criminalises illegal border crossings and speeds up procedures to deport economic migrants, was presented to the cabinet of President Emmanuel Macron for the first time.

The French government defended a new immigration bill as "completely balanced" on Wednesday despite criticism from rights groups and some ruling party lawmakers that it will lead to thousands of extra deportations. The draft law, which criminalises illegal border crossings and speeds up procedures to deport economic migrants, was presented to the cabinet of President Emmanuel Macron for the first time. It has sparked widespread anger from NGOs, who have branded it repressive, but the centrist government insists it is creating a more efficient system to sift out genuine refugees from those simply seeking a better life in France. "It`s a well-balanced law, in line with European law above all, and it is absolutely necessary that countries like Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden have the same type of procedures," Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told a press conference. Macron, the 40-year-old centrist elected last May, says the new policy aims to balance "efficiency" with "humanity", but the issue has become one of the most divisive of his young presidency. He has highlighted how the law would offer faster asylum procedures for refugees and improve their lives once accepted in France, but some members of his Republic on the Move (LREM) party have broken ranks. The bill doubles the time that failed asylum seekers can be held in detention to 90 days -- a move aimed at making it easier to deport them -- and halves the amount of the time applicants have to mount appeals. "The most vulnerable will be punished," warned Jean-Michel Clement, an MP who joined the LREM after switching from the Socialists. Some workers at France`s refugee protection office Ofpra went on strike in protest on Wednesday, branding the bill "an unequivocal departure from France`s tradition of asylum". They joined staff at the asylum court who have been on strike for nine days over their working conditions, with immigration lawyers also raising concerns over aspects of the draft law. The bill will be introduced in parliament in April, with debate expected to last several weeks. While leftwingers see it as too punitive, the right-wing opposition has labelled it too soft. French voters consistently cite immigration as a top concern, and the issue helped far-right nationalist leader Marine Le Pen to win 34 percent of the vote in the presidential election last year. Much of her rhetoric focused on the risk of France being "swamped" by foreigners from Africa. "If we don`t take on this problem, we will not be able to guarantee the right to asylum in France anymore," Collomb said at the press conference. The country received a record 100,000 asylum applications last year and offered refugee status to around 30,000 people, official figures show. Forced expulsions numbered 14,900. NGOs have lashed out in particular at the tougher conditions for failed asylum seekers. "We`re asking for it to be withdrawn," the Cimade migrants` charity said of the bill. "We`re not even in favour of fighting for changes to the bill, because the philosophy behind it is just too repressive." The government said it is also considering proposals on how to better integrate newcomers, including doubling the number of hours of French lessons they get and allowing asylum seekers to work. The bill also aims to cut the average waiting time on asylum applications from 11 months to six, although staff at the asylum court have raised concerns that the tighter turnaround on cases will make it more difficult to appeal. A heated parliamentary debate last week on a separate law on taking in "Dublin" migrants -- those whose asylum claims are registered in other EU countries -- provided a window on how the issue has split Macron backers. The government has already had to abandon a controversial proposal to deport failed asylum-seekers to third countries deemed "safe". Plans by Collomb to carry out immigration checks in homeless shelters have also come under fire in recent weeks. Left-wing Liberation newspaper noted that while polls showed voters backing tougher immigration laws, the relocation of thousands of migrants to towns and villages nationwide in 2016 went off largely without a hitch. "The French say they are worried, wary and want conservative migration policies. But once they get to know refugees they also want them to be welcomed," the paper wrote in an editorial.

France unveils controversial migrant bill, criminalises illegal border crossings

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