Vice President Biden will meet with Central American leaders from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras on Friday to consider options to deal with the surge of migrant children crossing the U.S. border.
Over 47,000 children have reached the border between October and May. A senior administration official described “the lack of perception of what they might find in the United States and more really extraordinary violence going on in their communities,” as the cause of the increased flow of migrant children.
However, there is a misconception that once these children arrive, they will be able to remain here under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, better known as DACA. This program only applies to immigrants who arrived in the U.S. illegally before turning 16, and who have been here since June of 2007.
The White House is focusing on spreading information to combat the rumors that have led to an increase in border crossings. This effort includes messages delivered by Cecilia Munoz, Obama’s top domestic policy advisor, on Spanish-language news programs.
The immediate issue at hand is a humanitarian one, where the safety and well-being of these children must be the priority. Yet this issue will not simply disappear. Looking to long-term solutions, joint efforts from the U.S. and Central American nations focusing on lasting solutions and reform must come.
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