Biden Admin, With VP Harris in Lead, Looks to Slow Illegal Immigration From Northern Central America

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a meeting with U.S. government leaders and private sector representatives to address the root causes of migration from northern Central America, in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, in Washington on Feb. 6, 2023. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the Feb. 6 launch of a public-private economic development initiative designed to improve financial and job opportunities in the northern Central America nations of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, which are nations in turmoil and beset with high levels of crime and government corruption.

The kickoff of the initiative, Central America Forward, was held in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building section of the White House.

Central America Forward is a partnership between the White House, the U.S. Department of State, and companies, educational institutions, and nonprofit groups.

Attending the event were government officials and representatives from partners of Central America Forward, including members of the leadership of Partnership For Central America (PCA), an organization that operates as an organizer and steering committee for the work of Central America Forward.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a meeting with U.S. government leaders and private sector representatives to address the root causes of migration from northern Central America in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House in Washington on Feb. 6, 2023. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Harris issued special acknowledgment to the PCA leaders in attendance: co-chairs Ajay Banga, vice chairman of General Atlantic, Blanca Treviño, president and CEO of Softek, and PCA vice-chair and co-founder Ray Chambers, who serves as ambassador for the World Health Organization for Global Strategy and Health Financing.

Focus On El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras

Improving job opportunities in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras is a fundamental component of the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border crisis, with the hopes that those living in these countries will be less inclined to travel north—with many embarking on dangerous and life-threatening journeys—and attempt to cross over the southern border illegally if the path to a promising, comfortable, and safe life is available in their home countries.

Border Patrol processes 13 Guatemalans who illegally crossed the Colorado River from Mexico into the United States in Yuma, Ariz., on April 14, 2019. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

Harris, appointed by Joe Biden early in his administration as his border czar, leads Central America Forward, which had its start in December 2021 with an initial investment of $1.2 billion from the private sector.

The following spring, in early June, Harris announced an additional $1.9 billion commitment to the program.

Plan For Economic Development

At the Feb. 6 event, Harris reported a new pledge of $950 million, which brings the total committed to Central American Forward to $4.2 billion.

“Today, we will launch the next steps in our efforts, in the next phase in our efforts,” said Harris. “Early on in our administration, President Biden asked me to lead the U.S. government’s focus on addressing the root causes of migration, in particular Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.”

Harris said her approach to the task was “guided by three principles.”

An Iowa State Trooper (L) assists Border Patrol in detaining illegal immigrants from Honduras and Guatemala while deployed to Texas, in Kinney County, Texas, on July 21, 2021. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

She continued, “One, I do, and I think we all believe that people generally do not want to leave home. And when they do, it is because they are either fleeing some harm or because staying home will mean that they cannot satisfy the basic needs of their family and themselves.

“Two, we believe and are guided by the principle that governments must collaborate to manage migration—and that means through bilateral, trilateral, multilateral relationships and dialogue. But also, what we must do to address the issue requires that we partner with the private sector if we are to have a lasting impact or even a profound impact.

“Three, to effectively address the root causes of migration, we must also, and this is absolutely a guiding principle, promote good governance, reduce violence, and empower women.”

Ajay Banga of Partnership For Central America also spoke and said that those organizations forming the Partnership For Central America are all “committed to advancing job creation opportunities, but also to creating the enabling environment necessary to support those jobs in a smart and sustainable way in El Salvador, in Guatemala, and in Honduras.”