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Helping hands across the US border

Biden’s main foreign focus could be the Central American nations that produce the most illegal border crossings. His goal of $4 billion in aid is a neighborly act.

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A man ferries customers across the Suchiate River between Guatemala and Mexico, Jan. 20.
  • By the Monitor's Editorial Board

When he was vice president seven years ago, Joe Biden scanned the globe for the most compelling problems to tackle. “Of all the places in crisis in the world, I came to believe that Central America had the best chance,” he later wrote.

He saw the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador – the main source of unauthorized migrants into the United States – as a critical link in his broader vision, namely that the entire Western Hemisphere could be “middle class, secure, and democratic.” He was able to convince Congress to provide nearly $800 million to lift up the so-called Northern Triangle nations.

On Jan. 21, a day after becoming president, Mr. Biden again focused on Central America. This time, he raised his expectations for the three southern neighbors. He asked U.S. lawmakers to commit $4 billion over four years to reform the region’s governance and economies.

Unlike his other presidential initiatives on immigration, this one received the best bipartisan response. Tackling the root causes of Central Americans traveling to the U.S. border – economic hardship, persecution, and violence – has all the appeal of a wise investment. It could also be a starting point for Congress to discuss a comprehensive solution to the difficult issues of immigration.

Mr. Biden plans to focus on two reforms for Central America: improving rule of law to combat corruption and enhancing economic opportunity for the creation of jobs. Both require a better education system. Two-thirds of students in the three countries do not finish high school, one reason so many young people join gangs. To relieve the pressure on Central Americans to migrate, income levels would need to rise to at least $8,000 in terms of gross national product per capita. Currently, they are around $4,000 or less.

Solving the immigration puzzle for the U.S. can begin in its own backyard. The problems in Central America run deep. And foreign aid may be required for years. But the illegal border crossings – especially those by unaccompanied minors – can end if the U.S. reaches far across its border to assist the neediest in its hemispheric neighborhood.

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