About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (June 12, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbaaf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Cnrin al Rtea' SeIc S Updated June 12, 2019 U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America: An Overview Introduction Instability in Central America is a pressing challenge for U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere. Several nations- particularly El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in the Northern Triangle of Central America-are struggling with widespread insecurity, fragile political and judicial systems, and high levels of poverty and unemployment. The inability of Central American governments to address those challenges effectively has had far-reaching implications for the United States. Transnational criminal organizations have used the Central American corridor for a range of illicit activities, including the trafficking of approximately 90% of cocaine bound for the United States. Central America has also surpassed Mexico as the largest source of irregular migration to the United States. In the first eight months of FY2019, U.S. authorities apprehended nearly 445,000 unauthorized migrants from the Northern Triangle at the southwest border (see Figure 1). More than 81 % of those apprehended were unaccompanied minors or families, many of whom were seeking humanitarian protection Figure I. U.S. Apprehensions of Northern Triangle Nationals at the Southwest Border: FY20 II -FY20 I 9 250,000 Guatemalans 200,000 rd ulduans 150,000 100,000 *alvadorans Strategy for Engagement in Central America and, with congressional support, more than doubled aid to the region. The Trump Administration initially maintained the strategy but adjusted it to place more emphasis on preventing illegal immigration, combating transnational crime, and generating opportunities for U.S. businesses. The Administration has also sought to scale back funding for the initiative. Although Congress has rejected some of the Administration's proposed reductions, annual assistance to Central America has declined by nearly 30% since FY2016 (see Figure 2). The future of the Central America strategy is now in question, as the Trump Administration announced in March 2019 that it intends to end foreign assistance programs in the Northern Triangle. Some Members of Congress have objected to the Administration's abrupt policy shift and have introduced legislation that would restrict its ability to transfer funds away from the region. The decisions made by the 116th Congress could play a crucial role in determining the direction of U.S. policy toward Central America in the coming years. Funding Since FY2016, Congress has appropriated nearly $2.6 billion for the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America. The funding has been divided fairly evenly between bilateral assistance programs focused on good governance, economic growth, and social welfare and Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) programs intended to prevent violence, reform justice- sector institutions, and combat gangs and organized crime. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development have allocated the vast majority of that aid to the Northern Triangle, including at least 75% of the funding appropriated in FY2016 and FY2017. 0 FY11 FY13 FY15 FY17 FYI9* Source: CRS presentation of data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol Nationwide Apprehensions by Citizenship and Sector in FY2007-FY2018; and U.S. Border Patrol Southwest Border Apprehensions by Sector Fiscal Year 2019, press release, June 5, 20 19. Notes: FYI9* includes October 2018-May 2019. In 2014, the Obama Administration determined that it was in the national security interests of the United States to work with Central American governments to promote economic prosperity, improve security, and strengthen governance. It approved a new, whole-of-government U.S. https:/crsreports.conc -- -q

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most