Harris to Visit Mexico and Guatemala on July 7-8

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit Mexico and Guatemala on July 7-8 to address the issue of illegal immigration, according to major foreign media reports on the 5th (local time).

Vice President Harris views corruption in the three Central American countries?Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador?where the influx of migrants to the U.S. is concentrated, as the core issue behind the increase in illegal immigration. She plans to visit these countries directly to discuss solutions.

In a virtual speech at the "Washington Conference on the Americas" hosted by the nonprofit America Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) the day before, Vice President Harris stated, "No matter how much effort we put into curbing violence, disaster relief, and food insecurity, if corruption in the three Central American countries continues, we will not make significant progress."

The Northern Triangle of Central America?El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras?accounts for the majority of migrants to the U.S. and faces severe issues such as political instability, corruption, violence, and poverty. The Biden administration sees this regional instability as a driver of increased illegal immigration to the U.S. and has allocated $300 million to reduce the influx.

Last month, Vice President Harris pledged cooperation to resolve illegal immigration issues during virtual calls with Alejandro Giammattei, President of Guatemala, and Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador, President of Mexico.

Unlike the hardline anti-immigration policies of the Trump administration, President Biden's compassionate pro-immigration stance has led to a surge of Latin American migrants attempting to enter the U.S., becoming a major concern for the government.

In particular, the introduction of immigration reform legislation that opens a path to citizenship for unaccompanied minor migrants instead of deporting them has caused the number of unaccompanied minors attempting illegal entry to soar to the highest level in 20 years.

Earlier, President Biden entrusted Vice President Harris with resolving the immigration issue, which has escalated into a political crisis.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.