Obama, Central American Leaders to Meet About Child-Migration Crisis

Wall Street Journal

By Laura Meckler

July 18, 2014

Obama, Central American Leaders to Meet About Child-Migration Crisis 

WASHINGTON—The presidents of three Central American countries at the heart of the child-migration crisis will meet with President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss steps to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S., the administration said.

The meeting, set for this coming Friday, comes as the U.S. struggles with a surge of unaccompanied children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. More than 57,000 minors arrived in the first nine months of this fiscal year, with the total expected to reach 90,000 by fall.

Mr. Obama recently asked Congress for $3.7 billion in emergency spending to respond to the surge. Lawmakers are also considering whether to change U.S. law to speed deportations, an effort aimed in part at discouraging future migrants.

The vast majority of the child migrants are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose presidents are to meet with Mr. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. The leaders set to visit are President Otto Pérez Molina of Guatemala, President Juan Orlando Hernández of Honduras and President Salvador Sánchez Cerén of El Salvador.

American officials are pressing Central American governments to work harder to deter their citizens from making the often perilous and sometimes fatal trip across Mexico to the U.S. border. They are also asking Central American leaders to prepare to receive a surge of children the U.S. hopes to send back home.

In addition, the U.S. wants Guatemala and Mexico to interdict migrants before they cross into Mexico en route to the U.S.

The meeting will aim to reinforce an "ongoing collaboration" on the crisis, the White House said.

"This will include discussion of how the United States and Central American governments are cooperating to promote safe, legal, and orderly migration between our countries in a spirit of shared responsibility," the White House said.

The statement from the White House said the leaders would also discuss how to address the underlying issues of poverty and security in the region that prompt Central Americans to leave their countries.

For more information, go to:  www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com