US launches review of Mexican consulates

By Jasper Ward and Humeyra ‌Pamuk

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - ​The ​U.S. Department of State has started a review of the more than 50 Mexican consulates operating in the United States, a State ‌Department official said on Thursday.

The move, which comes amid tense relations ⁠between Mexico and the U.S., could result in the closure of some diplomatic offices, the official ‌said.

"Department of State is constantly ‌reviewing all aspects of American foreign relations to ensure they are in line with the president's America First foreign policy agenda and advance American interests," ​Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, said when reached for comment.

The news of the review was first reported by CBS News.

The ⁠Mexican Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mexican immigrants have the largest immigrant population ​in the United States with at least 37 million people of Mexican origin living in the U.S. in 2021, according to ​Pew Research Center analysis of the U.S. Census ‌Bureau’s American Community Survey.

As a result, Mexico - with whom the U.S. shares a southern border - has an expansive foreign consular network ⁠in the United States with its offices providing an array of services for residents, including legal services.

A host country's closure of consulates can reflect strained diplomatic relations with a home ⁠country. In 2020, the State Department ordered the closure of China's consulate in Houston, Texas, after ​accusing Beijing of espionage activities.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have had a somewhat tense relationship since he returned to the White House last year.

Tensions peaked last ‌month after two U.S. officials were killed in a car crash. Those Americans were officers of the Central Intelligence Agency, ‌sources said.

Sheinbaum has also been outspoken about the rights of Mexicans in the U.S., ⁠after several Mexican nationals have been ‌killed in anti-immigration operations ​in the United States.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Additional reporting by Laura Gottesdiener in Monterrey, Mexico; Editing by ‌Lincoln Feast.)

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