Vice President Kamala Harris has demonstrated a commitment to the rule of law and supports a bipartisan border security bill. In contrast, anti-immigration MAGA extremists in Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), have been accused of politicizing immigration issues without addressing the broken system.
Despite allegations from her detractors, Vice President Harris was never assigned to oversee the U.S.-Mexico border. Instead, she has focused on addressing the root causes of migration from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala—the Northern Triangle of Central America—similar to efforts by then-Vice President Joe Biden during the Obama-Biden administration.
The Biden-Harris administration has collaborated with partners across the Americas to address irregular migration in the Western Hemisphere. These efforts have recently led to fewer encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border compared to 2019.
From 2014 to 2020, increases in irregular migration were primarily driven by displacement from Northern Triangle countries. Migration rose again in early 2021 as countries emerged from pandemic shutdowns. The administration initially focused on these areas but faced challenges with unreliable partner governments. Vice President Harris emphasized cooperation with civil society and the private sector through the Partnership for Central America (PCA).
As Latin American and Caribbean countries recovered from the pandemic and U.S. economic recovery outpaced global trends, two significant shifts occurred: unprecedented levels of displacement and new sources of irregular migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The inability to repatriate migrants safely exacerbated these challenges.
In response, the administration led a hemisphere-wide effort resulting in the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection with 21 regional partners. This agreement marked a first-time collaboration involving both the United States and Canada.
Under this declaration, Mexico has increased efforts to curb irregular migration to the United States. Alternatives were created for individuals fleeing instability in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to migrate legally and contribute economically upon arrival.
The LA declaration also inspired new temporary legal status programs for migrants in Latin America. In May 2024, Ecuador, Colombia, and Costa Rica announced regularization programs for various migrant populations at a ministerial meeting on the declaration. More than 80 percent of displaced individuals in Latin America have remained within the region rather than migrating further north.
Since its inception, PCA has generated $5.2 billion in private sector investments aimed at promoting job creation and economic growth in Central America's Northern Triangle countries. Fiscal year 2024 saw significant drops in monthly encounters by U.S. Customs and Border Protection: a 14 percent decrease from Guatemala, a 39 percent decrease from El Salvador, and a 50 percent decrease from Honduras compared to fiscal year 2021.
Combined with an executive order signed by President Biden related to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border and statutory immigration parole authority measures creating lawful pathways for migrants, these efforts have reduced recent border encounters below those recorded during comparable months in 2019.
Achieving sustainable order at the U.S.-Mexico border requires addressing migration throughout its entire chain extending into Latin America. Vice President Harris' work in northern Central America alongside broader administrative efforts through initiatives like the LA declaration aims for sustained order contingent on collaborative political leadership avoiding weaponization of immigration issues.
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