NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Biden, along with several Western Hemisphere leaders, will announce a new migration pact on Friday that will promote “safe and orderly migration,” just as the administration is struggling to contain an out-of-control crisis on the southern border. .
“The declaration represents a mutual commitment to invest in regional solutions that improve stability, increase opportunities for safe and orderly migration to the region, and curb the trafficking of criminals and people who take advantage of desperate people,” he said. said Biden on Wednesday at a preview of the deal at the Summit of the Americas.
HARRIS, AT THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS, DOUBLES THE EXPLANATIONS OF THE ‘ROOT CAUSES’ TO THE MIGRANT CRISIS
Biden called the “Los Angeles Declaration” a “new, innovative and integrated approach to managing migration and sharing responsibilities across the hemisphere.”
President Joe Biden talks to guests as he and First Lady Jill Biden host a dinner during the Summit of the Americas on Thursday, June 9, 2022 in Los Angeles. (Photo by AP / Evan Vucci)
As part of the launch, the Biden administration announced a number of new commitments and expenses related to migration.
According to the White House, the US will offer 22,500 non-agricultural H-2B visas to Central America and Haiti, pledge to resettle 20,000 American refugees in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 (a threefold increase from this year), increase reunification . programs for Cubans and Haitians, provide an additional $ 25 million for a migration crisis response program and commit to funding $ 314 million through the State Department and the United States Development Agency International Organization (USAID) for Humanitarian and Development Assistance for Refugees and Vulnerable Migrants Everywhere. the hemispheres.
The U.S. will also increase the resettlement of Haitian migrants and launch a new “Guide to Fair Recruitment Practices” for temporary migrant workers, which will be done in cooperation with large corporations such as Walmart. Separately, the United States is announcing a bark operation to disrupt human trafficking in the region.
Other countries have also signed commitments on migration. Mexico is expanding its migration programs and launching a new temporary work program, Canada is announcing an expansion of its acceptance of agricultural workers and funding for root-related investments. Guatemala, Ecuador and Belize are the other countries that have agreed to the pact.
MEXICO, NORTH TRIANGLE HEADS OF STATE JUMP AMERICAN SUMMIT WITH CROSSING ILLEGAL BORDER SPIT
U.S. officials have stressed that the migrant crisis is a regional problem, although many migrants in the hemisphere cross several countries to try to enter the U.S. with an asylum application. There have been historic figures at the border, with more than 234,000 migrant encounters in April, and officials have warned that the figure could rise during the summer months.
Migrants, many from Central America and Venezuela, walk the Huehuetan Highway in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, in the early hours of Tuesday, June 7, 2022. The group left Tapachula on Monday, tired of waiting to normalize the his situation in a region with little employment and still far from his ultimate goal of reaching the United States. (Photo AP / Marco Ugarte) (Photo AP / Marco Ugarte)
The Biden administration has pushed back several Trump-era border policies and recently tried to end the evictions in accordance with the Title 42 public health order, which has been in use since March 2020. by both administrations to expel most migrants because of COVID. -19. However, this effort has been thwarted by a federal judge, who has ordered the administration to maintain the current policy.
The Biden administration has focused its response on trying to address what it believes are the “root causes” of the issue, including violence, poverty and climate change, and has been pooling private sector investment in region.
PHOTO GALLERY: HOW THE CRISIS ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER DEPLOYED, AND LACK OF CONTROL
Vice President Kamala Harris has been leading this effort since last year, and this week at the Summit she announced that her “Call to Action” had resulted in approximately $ 3.2 billion in private sector investment.
Harris told attendees that there are three principles that guide their prospects.
June 6, 2022 – Vice President Kamala Harris smiles as she speaks at a roundtable discussion with religious leaders in Los Angeles. (Photo by AP / Jae C. Hong)
“First, I think most people don’t want to leave home. They don’t want to leave their grandmother. They don’t want to leave where they come from and the community they’ve always known,” he said. dit. “And so when they do, it’s usually for one of two reasons: they’re running away from harm, or staying means they just can’t meet their basic needs or the needs of their family.”
The other principles are that governments cannot act alone, and that any strategy must prioritize the fight against corruption, the reduction of violence, the empowerment of women and the promotion of the rule of law.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Therefore, these are the guiding principles that inform our root cause strategy. And this strategy is aligned with the importance that many of the leaders here know and live: the importance of paying attention to a good return on investment, consistency and predictability, a skilled workforce and a reliable infrastructure, “he said.
However, Harris will not attend when the migration pact is presented. Instead, he traveled to South Carolina to raise funds for state Democrats.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Adam Shaw is an immigration-focused Fox News Digital political journalist. You can contact him at adam.shaw2@fox.com or on Twitter: @AdamShawNY