President Biden announced recently that Vice President Kamala Harris has been appointed to head the administration’s efforts to deal with the border situation. She will be tasked with halting the stream of people looking to enter the United States as the amount of entrants at the southern border continues to increase. Harris will be seeking cooperation with Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries. (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras)
According to a senior administration official, the Vice President will focus on immigration issues in Mexico and the Northern Triangle. The announcement was made after the administration met with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and other top immigration experts and advisers.
Vice President Harris spoke to the press, stating “While we are clear that people should not come to the border now, we also understand that we will enforce the law and that we also — because we can chew gum and walk at the same time — must address the root causes that cause people to make the trek, as the president has described, to come here.”
“I look forward to engaging in diplomacy with government, with the private sector, with civil society, and the leaders of each in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to strengthen democracy and the rule of law and ensure shared prosperity in the region.” Harris further urged everyone to be patient, saying that “It’s going to take some time.”
Controlling the Border Situation
Harris’s efforts are expected to focus along two lines, according to the White House. The first is to deal with the number of immigrants entering the country at the southern border, and the second is to forge long-term partnerships with the Central American countries. “She’ll work first on the goal of stemming the flow of irregular migrants to the U.S. … but at the same time, the real goal is to establish a strategic partnership with these countries based on respect and shared values,” the WH spokesperson shared.
The administration has created additional operational facilities to address the swell – including a tent city in Midland, Texas, and a Convention Center in Dallas. In addition, Biden has promised a 4 billion dollar investment in Northern Triangle nations to address why the migration is occurring, including economic issues, increasing violence, climate change concerns, and intensifying corruption in governments. Congress has not yet approved this money.
Immigrants at the United States Border
Since Biden was inaugurated, the number of immigrants crossing Mexico and attempting U.S. entry has significantly increased. Thousands of migrants have been turned away, but unaccompanied minors, coming in record numbers., have been accepted and need to be housed and fed. The current facilities are overcrowded and are attempting to move these children out of Border Patrol facilities and into HHS housing. In HHS, minors will be given education, health, and legal services.
Why Are They Coming?
According to the White House officials, “Migrants are fleeing Central American countries including Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, due to economic instability, gang violence, corruption, domestic violence, and the havoc caused by extreme weather conditions. Some are merely crossing the border for a better life. Many are also fleeing out of fear of persecution by their oppressors.” Biden and Harris stress that solving these issues will mean going into the “root causes of migration.”
If you are a new arrival into the United States or have been living here and need assistance with your legal standing, call the immigration attorneys at Probinsky & Cole. We are here to help.
