Mexican president hails Biden's border wall freeze

MEXICO CITY, Feb 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden'sdecision to stop new construction of his predecessor's signaturewall on the border with Mexico received a vote of confidencefrom his Mexican counterpart on Friday.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reportersat his regular morning news conference that he supports Biden'sexecutive order, one of his first actions on becoming U.S.president.

"We think it's good that they don't build any more walls,"said Lopez Obrador, noting that several past U.S. presidentshave extended border barriers during their terms.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump made the border wall oneof his top issues dating back to his 2016 campaign, in which healso insisted repeatedly that Mexico would pay for it. He latersought funding from the U.S. Congress for the project.

Lopez Obrador also urged U.S.-bound migrants to hold backfrom seeking to cross illegally just because of the change inpresidents.

"The border is not wide open," he said.

The U.S. government next week will begin to process asylumseekers forced to wait in Mexico under a controversial programput in place by Trump, officials said.

(Reporting by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Nick Macfie)