OAN’s Brooke Mallory
11:47am – Monday, March 25, 2024
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo are scheduled to meet on Monday, amid U.S. efforts to control the influx of migrants arriving at the southern border trying to cross illegally from Central America.
advertisement
The two leaders are expected to discuss, among other immigration-related issues, the use of the Biden administration’s so-called “safe travel offices” that were established in Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador last fall.
The Safe Mobility Office aims to speed up the U.S. asylum application process, allowing foreign nationals to apply from their current location and avoiding the need to pay smugglers to get them north.
As the 2024 election approaches, there is growing bipartisan concern over immigration. Lawmakers from both parties agree that Biden’s attempts to fix the current system are deeply flawed and have been ineffective. President Joe Biden tasked Harris with addressing the factors that influence people’s decisions to immigrate to the United States from his home country.
Harris and Arevalo will also discuss Arevalo’s anti-corruption strategy and how the United States can support that effort, according to a White House official who reviewed the talks on condition of anonymity.
In August, Arevalo was elected president, easily defeating establishment candidates. The politician, who has a background in academia and conflict resolution, attracted a lot of attention by challenging the country’s entrenched power structure and launching a platform to renew the fight against corruption.
Harris is expected to declare investments totaling $5.2 billion in Central America.
The number of people arrested for illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border rose to 189,922 in February, still one of the lowest monthly totals under President Biden. Reportedly, 23,780 of these illegal immigrants were from Guatemala.
Stay informed. Receive breaking news directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Please share this post!
