Obama in Mexico to talk immigration, trade, security

President Barack Obama will discuss immigration when he meets with Mexico's president Thursday but will focus on trade and security, the White House said. The Mexico City meetings between Obama and President Enrique Pena Nieto come as a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers seeks to navigate comprehensive immigration-reform legislation through Congress this month. "We've had a good level of dialogue [with Mexico] and have kept each other informed about the process, but we've emphasized on our side that [immigration reform] is a domestic political issue, primarily," Ricardo Zuniga, the National Security Council's lead man on Latin America policy, told reporters Wednesday "It's not an issue where they've tried to become involved in our process, which is something that we very much appreciate," he said. Pena Nieto faces pressure from some Mexican interests to take a more public stand in the immigration debate, The Washington Post said. Obama is to meet with Pena Nieto, who assumed office five months ago, at Mexico's National Palace around 3 p.m. EDT and hold a news conference with him around 4:10 p.m., the White House said Wednesday night. Obama will then visit the U.S. Embassy before meeting with Pena Nieto again around 7:15 p.m. for a working dinner, the White House said. Obama will spend the night in Mexico City. He will travel to Costa Rica Friday to discuss economic, energy and security issues with a gathering of the Central American leaders. He will return to Washington Saturday. The three-day trip is meant to focus on security and, most of all, promoting trade with Mexico, Obama said.