President Joe Biden will host Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves Robles Tuesday at a critical time for a region grappling with a record number of migrants heading to the United States.
The unprecedented movement of people in the Western Hemisphere has placed immense pressure on the Biden administration, which – despite rolling out a series of measures to stem migration – is still facing potentially thousands more people arriving at the US southern border this fall, placing a politically delicate issue at the forefront on the cusp of a presidential election.
The number of migrants crossing the treacherous Darien Gap – which connects Panama and Colombia and has recently served as a barometer for movement in the region – broke a new record this year. According to authorities, 248,901 people crossed the jungle in 2023, and of those, approximately 20% are children and adolescents.
“We’re monitoring it really closely and are concerned,” a senior administration official told CNN. “This has been a high priority for the US and for our partners in the region.”
Already, border officials are seeing an increasing number of daily encounters at the border compared to earlier this summer. In July, the number of families apprehended at the border – one of the most vulnerable populations – nearly doubled compared to June, raising concerns within the Biden administration.
Tuesday’s visit to the White House by Chaves Robles underscores the significance of US relationships in the Western Hemisphere to manage the flow of migrants.
In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden and Robles will discuss how the US and Costa Rica “can build out inclusive and sustainable economies, including through the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, advance democratic values in the region, promote safe and orderly…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply