There has been a sharp increase in the number of unaccompanied migrant children from Central America attempting to enter the United States in the past few years. This increase is also seen among adults, though to a lesser degree. As the United States, Mexico, and Central American countries struggle to address this crisis, debates have raged surrounding the humanitarian, legal, and political implications of any possible solution to this complex and troubling issue. This memo aims to inform the current debate by integrating data on issues triggering this outflow while also introducing the perspectives of the people and communities they affect. Specifically, it draws on data from 900 municipalities to analyze migrant hometowns in relation to human development,violence, and education.In addition, it presents the results of a nationwide survey in El Salvador and a survey of Central American migrants residing in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
The U.S. president needs to keep cooperating closely with Mexico, steer clear of any military action in Venezuela and refrain from bullying his partners and allies in the region.
As the Honduran migrant caravan reaches Tijuana seeking to cross the border to the United States, important political and humanitarian controversies have sprung around Central American caravans.
CGTN’s Asieh Namdar spoke with Peter Hakim, president emeritus and senior fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue about the migrant caravan coming from Honduras.
Manuel Orozco analyzes the current trends in Central American immigration. Although it is a relatively new phenomenon, mostly dating from the late 1970s, its impact in the region and on foreign policy is quite significant.
On June 29, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted an event titled “Immigrant Families: Separation, Reunification, and Legal Challenges.” The conversation analyzed Trump administration’s May 2018 “zero tolerance policy.”
In January, 2018 the US government announced that it will not renew Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans. This report will explore the consequences of this decision and offer several proposals for avoiding or mitigating the potential harm to Salvadorans currently protected by TPS.
Sending back 200,000 Salvadorans to an already strained region flies in the face of the objectives of the Alliance for Prosperity, and is a surefire way to worsen the social ills that lie at the root of the massive exodus to the United States. A chaotic Central America is a story with no winners except criminal syndicates.
El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos ha decidido terminar con el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) para los inmigrantes de El Salvador, con un período de inactividad de 18 meses. Sin embargo, el canciller Hugo Martínez resalta el plazo otorgado por Washington para la expiración de las preferencias temporales que cobijan a más de 200 mil ciudadanos para septiembre del 2019. El análisis al tema con Manuel Orozco, director del programa de Migración, Desarrollo y Remesas del Diálogo Interamericano.
On October 3, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted an event entitled “How Insecurity Shapes Daily Life in Central America” to discuss a report recently published by the Inter-American Dialogue and the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) on crime avoidance in Central America. The event was moderated by Michael Shifter, with the speakers including Elizabeth Zechmeister, Carole Wilson, Michael Camilleri, and Juan Gonzalez. The panel discussed the report’s methodology and findings, as well as some of the broader implications of the research for policymakers in Latin America and the United States.
