Biden and Harris discuss migration in separate White House meetings with Guatemalan leader Arévalo

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed Bernardo Arévalo, the newly elected president of Guatemala, to the White House on Monday to praise his battle against corruption and promote their work on stemming migration from Central America. “Your leadership can help rebuild the Guatemalan people’s trust in their institutions, and give them a sense of hope and opportunity,” Harris said. President Joe Biden met privately afterward with Arévalo to congratulate him on his inauguration, the White House said later Monday. They discussed good governance, effective migration management, the importance of upholding democracy and other issues, the White House said. The Democratic vice president announced that her efforts to address the root causes of migration by improving economic opportunity in the region have generated $5.2 billion in private sector commitments. ADVERTISEMENT “The problems, of course, did not occur overnight, and the solutions will not be achieved overnight,” Harris said. But there has been short-term progress, she said. Migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras — an area known as the Northern Triangle — have long made the journey north to the U.S.-Mexico border. Successive administrations have struggled to manage the flow of migrants, and it’s become a humanitarian and political challenge for Biden during this year’s election. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress say the nation’s immigration system is broken, but lawmakers have failed to address the problem. READ MORE Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the media after she and the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention met with families whose loved ones were murdered during the 2018 mass shooting that took the lives of 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald via AP) ‘Frozen in time.’ Kamala Harris tours bloodstained building where 2018 Parkland massacre happened Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and Frankie Miranda, Hispanic Federation president, applaud, during a visit, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Friday, March 22, 2024. Harris visited Puerto Rico on Friday as part of a whirlwind trip to tout the federal aid the U.S. territory has received following deadly hurricanes and attend a Democratic fundraiser. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo) Kamala Harris marks first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president, riling some in the US territory FILE - San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan, left, controls the ball as OL Reign defender Lauren Barnes defends during the second half of an NWSL semifinal playoff soccer match Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in San Diego. The National Women's Soccer League has a lot to be excited about heading into its 11th season. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File) Alex Morgan has late goal, leads San Diego past Gotham FC 1-0 in the Challenge Cup Harris and Arévalo discussed the Biden administration’s use of so-called “safe mobility offices,” which were set up in Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador in the fall, among other immigration matters. The safe mobility offices are designed to streamline the U.S. refugee process so migrants apply where they are and avoid paying smugglers to make the journey north. The number of arrests for illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border nudged upward in February over the previous month to 140,644, although it was still among the lowest monthly tallies in Biden’s presidency. Of those, 23,216 were Guatemalan. ADVERTISEMENT Arévalo took office in January after winning the presidency in August, beating the establishment candidate by a comfortable margin. He is the son of a former president credited with implementing some of Guatemala’s key labor protections, but his strong showing in a crowded field was still a shock. The politician with a background in academia and conflict resolution caught fire with a message of challenging the country’s entrenched power structure and resuming the fight against corruption. “Your election has brought a sense of of optimism to the people of America and around the world,” Harris said. “And despite the challenges that have been posed to Guatemala’s democratic process, the United States was proud to stand with you, Mr. President, following a free and fair election.” Arévalo thanked Harris and the U.S. for their support. “I view this as a historic moment in relations between our two countries, which share basic values and common interests,” Arévalo said. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.