Will U.S.-Northern Triangle Talks Lead to Good Results?

Immigration Partner Leon Fresco spoke with Latin America Advisor about recent meetings between U.S. and Central American officials regarding an influx of migrants attempting to cross the U.S. southern border. Ricardo Zúñiga, the U.S. special envoy to the "Northern Triangle" region, met with top officials in Guatemala and El Salvador, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Mexico's president by phone. Mr. Fresco commented that these talks are part of larger efforts within the Biden Administration to deal with the surge of migrants at the border. He added that the administration's long-term plan includes creating infrastructure for seeking asylum in Mexico and Central America instead of the U.S. as well as security improvements and increased employment throughout Central America to reduce the reasons to emigrate.

"Through these actions, Vice President Harris and Special Envoy Zúñiga obtained a renewed commitment from Central American nations to increase internal security so that nationals of other countries cannot easily transit on the way to the United States," Mr. Fresco said. "...In the short term, these methods will not immediately solve the influx at the border, but they are necessary measures to create long-term change in migration patterns that have existed for more than a decade."

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