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November 22, 2023
U.S. Efforts to Manage Western Hemisphere Migration Flows
In FY2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
released a U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of
enforcement encounters at the Southwest border reached
Migration in Central America. Its stated aim is to address
2.5 million. CBP reports that those persons encountered
socioeconomic, governance, and security challenges in the
were either placed into removal proceedings under Title 8
subregion. The Administration also created a Collaborative
of the U.S. Code, where they could potentially seek asylum
Migration Management Strategy that seeks to build a
or related relief, or expelled from the United States under
regional framework for “safe, orderly, and humane
Title 42 for public health reasons. Encounters initially fell
migration” in North and Central America.
after the end of COVID-19-related border entry restrictions
The Administration subsequently broadened its engagement
in May 2023 but have increased steadily since June 2023.
on migration issues beyond Central America to other
FY2023 marked the first time the majority of migrants
countries in the Western Hemisphere in the context of
originated from outside Mexico and Central America, with
increasingly diverse migrant flows (See Figure 1).
more than 408,000 migrants traveling from South America
through Panama’s dangerous Darién Gap jungle between
Secretary of State Antony Blinken gathered with his
counterparts in the region for a series of meetings resulting
January and September 2023.
in the Los Angeles Declaration for Migration and
The Biden Administration has launched foreign policy
Protection, signed by the United States and 20 other
initiatives aimed at managing migration in the Western
Western Hemisphere countries in June 2022. The
Hemisphere and has requested FY2024 base and
declaration recognizes migration management as a shared
supplemental funds to implement them. Congress is
responsibility and seeks to bolster regional efforts to
considering legislation and appropriations that could affect
improve border controls, create legal migration and
those policies while overseeing existing regional migration
protection pathways, support migrants and host
management efforts.
communities, and coordinate mass migration responses.
U.S. efforts to implement the Los Angeles Declaration
Figure 1. U.S. Southwest Border Encounters:
include the following measures.
FY2023 Top 10 Western Hemisphere Countries of Origin
Figure is interactive in the HTML version of this In Focus.
Foreign Assistance
The Biden Administration has used foreign assistance to
advance its migration management strategies. In FY2022,
the Administration allocated at least $704.9 million to
support the implementation of the root causes strategy in
Central America. It also allocated $295.6 million in
humanitarian assistance to respond to the needs of
vulnerable populations in Central America and Mexico, as
well as $656.3 million in humanitarian assistance to
countries hosting the more than 6.5 million Venezuelan
migrants and refugees in the Western Hemisphere. Full-
year FY2023 allocations are not yet available. For FY2024,
the Administration requested at least $945.8 million to
continue implementation of the root causes strategy in
Central America, at least $83.0 million to support the
integration of Venezuelan migrants in South America, and
$51.4 million for migration management. The United States
and some partner governments also are working with the
Inter-American Development Bank to provide grants to
support infrastructure and social programs for migrants and
Source: CRS using U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
host communities in the region.
U.S. Regional Migration Management
The Administration requested $1.3 billion in FY2024
emergency supplemental assistance to respond to irregular
The Biden Administration’s approach to regional migration
migration in the hemisphere. Among other activities, the
challenges initially focused on Central America, a top
funds would support public messaging about the dangers of
source of U.S.-bound migrants over the prior decade. In
the journey and partner governments’ migrant screening,
July 2021, pursuant to the United States-Northern Triangle
regularization, and integration efforts. Funds also would
Enhanced Engagement Act (P.L. 116-260, Division FF,
support the creation and operations of Safe Mobility Offices
Subtitle F) and Executive Order 14010, the Administration
(SMOs) in the region to vet potential candidates for refugee
https://crsreports.congress.gov
U.S. Efforts to Manage Western Hemisphere Migration Flows
resettlement or other legal migration options to the United
Cubans, and other migrants who plan to make their way
States or other countries, such as Canada or Spain.
north to the U.S. border. Costa Rica and Panama, lacking
the capacity to deal with the large number of migrants
Legal Pathways, Stiffer Penalties
arriving in their countries, began bussing migrants to the
Nicaraguan border in October 2023 to expedite their travel.
The Biden Administration has expanded legal pathways for
migrants to enter the United States, while increasing
Some countries have consistently backed or opposed U.S.
penalties for those who enter the country illegally. In
migration control efforts, whereas others have changed their
January 2023, the Administration expanded a humanitarian
positions over time. Mexico has remained a key partner in
parole program, which began in October 2022 for migrants
U.S. immigration control efforts by, most recently,
from Venezuela, to include migrants from Cuba, Haiti, and
accepting U.S. removals from CHNV countries. Colombia
Nicaragua (CHNV). With U.S. funding, U.N. agencies have
continues to host 2.9 million Venezuelan migrants, many of
created SMOs in Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and
whom have received temporary protected status in the
Ecuador. At SMOs, potential migrants can determine
country. The Colombian government has asserted that it is
whether they may qualify for refugee status, family
futile to attempt to stop migrants from entering the Darién
reunification parole, temporary worker visas, or other legal
Gap. Instead, its government, like many in the region, has
pathways. The overall impact of SMOs is limited by several
endorsed addressing the root causes of migration. Amid
factors: They serve only citizens from specific countries,
negotiations regarding electoral conditions for 2024, the
most migrants are unlikely to qualify for a legal pathway,
Venezuelan government, long opposed to receiving U.S.
and, for those who do, the processing time may be lengthy.
removals, allowed the resumption of U.S. deportation
flights in October 2023.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has instituted
the CBP One app, which appears to have contributed to
Considerations for Congress
more migrants arriving by appointment at U.S. ports of
entry. As Title 42 ended, DHS announced greater use of
Congress may consider various policy options as part of its
expedited removal for inadmissible aliens at the Southwest
legislative and oversight responses to regional migration
border. The Administration also issued a final rule making
challenges. For example, Congress is debating the Biden
some who arrive at the border without valid entry
Administration’s base and supplemental foreign assistance
documents after traveling through another country subject
requests for FY2024. As the appropriations process
to a rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility.
continues, Congress could set funding levels and objectives
for U.S. assistance in Latin America and the Caribbean. It
Relief from Removal
also could determine the relative balance of migration-
related assistance among activities to address the root
The Biden Administration has designated Venezuela and
causes of migration, support for migrant integration and
Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which provides
regularization, and border security and migration
work authorization and protection from removal for
management efforts. Some research suggests that foreign
individuals already present in the United States who are
assistance can reduce migration, though the impact is
nationals of countries DHS deems unsafe. The
typically modest and the results vary depending on the type
Administration also extended earlier TPS designations for
of assistance provided.
El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which the Trump
Administration had tried to terminate. Together, these
In May 2023, the House passed H.R. 2, which, among other
designations allow some 1.2 million individuals to remain
measures, would direct the Administration to seek to
in the United States.
reestablish migration agreements similar to those concluded
during the Trump Administration. These include the
Anti-smuggling and Law Enforcement Efforts
Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) with Mexico and
Asylum Cooperation Agreements (ACA) with Central
The Biden Administration has worked with regional
American countries. Both of these policies have been
partners to combat migrant smuggling. In June 2021, the
subject to litigation. Some in Congress support restarting
Departments of Justice and Homeland Security established
these polices, arguing that they helped reduce U.S.
Joint Task Force Alpha to enhance efforts against human
encounters. Others have opposed such policies, arguing that
smuggling groups in Mexico and Central America. Such
many partner countries lack the capacity to keep asylum-
activities build on existing cooperation mechanisms, such
seekers and refugees safe.
as Transnational Criminal Investigative Units that
investigate and prosecute smugglers and human traffickers,
More broadly, Congress may consider the extent to which
and an International Biometric Information-Sharing
U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean should
Program to help governments detect and detain potential
potentially be driven by migration concerns, while also
security threats before they reach the United States.
considering other U.S. interests in the region, including
trade, security, and adherence to democracy and human
Regional Reactions
rights.
U.S. migration management policies have prompted a range
Clare Ribando Seelke, Specialist in Latin American
of reactions among countries in the region. In October
Affairs
2023, El Salvador instituted visa requirements and a $1,000
Peter J. Meyer, Specialist in Latin American and Canadian
fee for migrants from African countries and India to help
curb irregular migration. Nicaragua, by contrast, has
Affairs
allowed an increase in charter flights carrying Haitians,
Shelby B. Senger, Presidential Management Fellow
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U.S. Efforts to Manage Western Hemisphere Migration Flows
IF12538
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