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1 1 (July 17, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbalz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: ~ Inforn ir Ith leIs'tvdbt sincr11 Updated July 17, 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 effectively address those challenges 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 also has surpassed Mexico as the largest source of irregular migration to the United States. In the first nine months of FY2019, U.S. authorities apprehended more than 511,000 unauthorized migrants from the Northern Triangle at the southwest border (see Figure 1). Nearly 82% 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: FY20I I -FY2019 250,000 Guate alans 200 000 150 000 100 000 Salvadorans 5000 FY11 FY13 FY15 FY17 FY19* 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, July 10, 2019. Notes: FYI9* includes October 2018-June 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 Sources: U.S. D governance. It approved a new, whole-of-government U.S. justifications for Strategy for Engagement in Central America and, with congressional support, more than doubled aid to the region. II69 https:Hicrsreportstcongress.gov 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 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 has begun closing down 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 76% of the funding appropriated in FY2016 and FY2017. Figure 2. Appropriations for the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America: FY2016-FY2020 $750 Forign FY17tins FY1 7FY1920 FY20.Rp 800 700

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