Mexico agrees to deport migrants to “reduce pressure” on its northern border with the United States after a recent increase in illegal immigration

(CNN) — Mexican officials met with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Friday and agreed to “reduce pressure” on northern Mexican cities bordering El Paso, Eagle Pass and San Diego, deport migrants to their countries of origin and implement a series of measures to prevent the rail system from being used to reach the border. With the United States, according to Mexico’s National Migration Institute.

The cross-border meeting was held from El Paso, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in the wake of a recent spike in illegal crossings into the United States, which temporarily closed an international bridge and temporarily halted Mexico’s main freight train system. The ceremony was attended by acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller, the commissioner of Mexico’s National Immigration Institute, the governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, members of the Mexican Defense and National Guard, and Ferrumex, a Mexican rail operator, according to the institute.

In all, Mexican officials have agreed to implement 15 measures, some in coordination with CBP and Verumex, to address the needs of the rail system and discourage migrants from risking their lives on the train, according to Mexico’s National Migration Institute. Those actions taken by Mexican officials include, among others, the following:

1. Deporting immigrants to their countries of origin by land and air.

2. Allow CBP to expel migrants across the Ciudad Juarez International Bridge, which connects to El Paso.

3. Conduct negotiations with the governments of Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia and Cuba to receive their deported citizens.

4. Carrying out interventions on railways and roads.

5. Establish checkpoints along the Verumex railway route.

6. Provide CBP’s El Paso Sector with a daily report on the number of migrants in the train system.

These actions by Mexican officials raise questions about whether Mexico is doing the United States’ work south of the border to address the current immigration problem plaguing the United States.

CNN asked CBP this question, more about Mexico’s reception of migrants expelled across the Ciudad Juarez International Bridge, and the daily report Mexico will provide on migrants traveling by train. CBP acknowledged that the meeting took place, but did not immediately respond to CNN’s questions.

Despite New Mexico’s efforts to “relieve pressure” on the border by deporting migrants, Mexico’s National Migration Institute said it has already deported hundreds of thousands of migrants, and more than 788,000 migrants returned to their countries of origin from January 1 to September.