President Joe Biden, alongside other Western Hemisphere leaders, will announce a new plan Friday aimed at addressing migration.
The plan, dubbed “The Los Angeles Declaration,” will be jointly announced between various countries attending the Summit of the Americas. A senior administration official, previewing the announcement to reporters Thursday, billed the declaration as “a regional partnership to address historic migration flows affecting every country in the region.”
The official noted that the declaration includes a commitment to more effective border enforcement, describing it as having “four pillars.”
“President Biden is asking all governments along the migratory route to establish and fortify asylum processing in each of their respective countries while more effectively enforcing their borders, conducting screenings, and removing those individuals who do not qualify for asylum,” the senior administration official said.
“It sets forth a framework for a coordinated and predictable way for states to manage migration, and focuses on four main pillars: stability and assistance for communities, legal pathways, humane border management, and coordinated emergency response,” the official added.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks while hosting a dinner at the Getty Villa for leaders and their spouses at the Summit of the Americas, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 9, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
With “The Los Angeles Declaration,” governments are committing to several efforts aimed at aiding the surge of migrants the U.S. and other countries have seen under the Biden administration. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: My Night At The Border With ‘Operation Lone Star’ In Texas)
Governments will expand temporary worker programs – described by the administration official as a “win-win” amid “massive labor shortages” – increase support for countries holding a large number of refugees and migrants, combat human smuggling networks and “open, expand and reinforce other legal channels for migration.”
Within the U.S., Biden will detail how his administration plans to apply the declaration Friday. The president will highlight new actions, including addressing labor shortages and the economy, as well as providing renewed support for other countries with a large refugee and migrant footprint, according to the administration official.
When pressed on how the U.S. plans to ensure enforcement of the declaration, the official noted that it will “be an ongoing dialogue.” The official also said that some countries are not expected to sign onto the declaration.
Multiple Central American countries and Mexico boycotted the Summit of the Americas, with leaders opting to just send diplomats to the event, after the U.S. announced it would not include Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, The Associated Press reported.