Central Immigration to the United States

When we hear South American migration news in the United States, it is rarely positive. Depending on where we get our news from, migration news is often coupled with images of migrants in facilities: behind bars, in cages, and in aluminum foil blankets. News reporters tour immigrant facilities to educate the public on just how bad the migrant crisis has gotten.With all this comes one of the most Controversial topics in American politics: how should the United States handle these immigrants? It seems that there is no right solution. Between party lines, opinions on migration are immensely polarizing. Democratic politicians are well known to be more accepting of migrants, favoring policies that would raise the overall welfare of immigrants in the United States. Across the aisle republicans have more hostile policies towards immigrants. Republican senators and governors view migrants more negatively. Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida just recently is facing backlash for sending 50 or so immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard.

Central immigration to the United States has increased significantly over the past few years. According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) tabulation of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 ACS, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras makeup the top three countries where migrants originate from.

Central immigration to the United States is mostly fueled by violence and poverty in immigrants’ home countries. Citizens in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras face a great deal of violence. Gang violence is an epidemic in all three countries. The homicide rate is 5 times what the World Health Organization considers normal. In the past 6 years, 72,000 people have been murdered in all three countires. All countries also face exceedingly high levels of poverty:, almost 1 in 5 Guatemalans, Salvadorians, and Hondurans live on less than $1.90 a day. When migrants move to the United States, they are seeking stability and an escape from violence.

Migrant conditions when traveling to the United States range from life threatening to hazardous. Smuggling immigrants is a dangerous but common way immigrants enter the United States without. On June 27, 2022, 53 migrants were found dead in San Antonio. Their cause of death was heat and asphyxiation. This is just one instance of the roughly 5,000 deaths of migrants from Central America since 2014. Even so, this number is only an estimate - the true numbers will remain unknown.

When Central Americans

come to the United States, they are looking for a better life. America is safer, has better work opportunities, and an escape from violence in their home country. Guatemala signed the “safe third country” agreement with the US in 2019. Typically under“Safe third country” agreements, both countries are acknowledging that they can both offer asylum to people in need. The agreement would also allow the US to deport asylum seekers to Guatemala. El Salvador and Honduras have also entered into similar agreements with the United States. Asylum seekers who do not belong to one of those countries could be sent there to seek asylum.

The United States’ response to immigration from Central America varies and is largely dependent on who is president. The current president Joe Biden has taken measures to reverse the policies passed by previous president Donald Trump. Biden lifted the restrictions that limited the amount of Visas issued. Biden’s most recent immigration proposal, the U.S. Citizenship Act, will create an 8-year path that will make all green card holders eligible for citizenship. Granted, Biden and his administration still encouraged immigrants not to come to the United States. Vice President Kamala Harris, at a presidential conference with the Guatemalan president, famously told migrants who were thinking of going to the United States “Do not come”.

Former president Donald Trump was infamously outspoken for decreasing legal immigration. President Trump cut the average number of monthly green cards issued by 18.2 percent from the Obama administration. As of 2021 Trump reduced legal immigration by 49 percent. Former president Barack Obama's most famous immigration policy, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or “DACA '' for short, protected young undocumented immigrants. The program would provide “Dreamers”, children who came to the United States illegally, temporary protection from being deported.

In a survey done by the Cato institute in 2021, they found that the general support of immigration has increased over the past years. Yet, immigration policy greatly differs between Republicans and Democrats. In 2021, 47% of Democrats said that immigration should be increased, a sentiment with which only 11% of Republicans agreed, similarly, 57% of democrats believe that the legal migration process is too expensive, while 24% of republicans hold the same belief.

All in all the immigration issue remains one of the most controversial issues in American history to date. The seemingly two sided issue: to let immigrants in or to keep them out. Until a solution can be found, Americans will be bombarded with pictures on their TV screen that show kids holding silver blankets and long immigration lines. There seems to be no exact migrant “solution” and the differing opinions reflect largely on Americans' differing values. For now we can only hope that the solution is one that comes swiftly and brings with it a great deal of change.