Biden’s aides had advertised the immigration statement as a central element of the US-hosted US Summit, and 20 countries joined him in a ritual unveiling of the plan – though several others stayed away. Concluding the final day of the summit, the White House launched a series of immigration programs agreed upon by countries across the hemisphere and Spain, participating as an observer, which promised a more collaborative approach. But analysts were skeptical that the commitments were significant enough to make a significant difference. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register These measures include the commitment of the United States and Canada to accept more guest workers, providing passageways for people from poorer countries to work in richer countries and other countries that agree on greater protection for immigrants. Mexico will also accept more workers from Central America, according to a White House statement. “We are transforming our approach to managing immigration to America,” Biden said. “Each of us signs commitments that recognize the challenges we all share.” The flags of 20 countries, far fewer than the number that attended the summit, adorned the stage where Biden led the spread. But that number was only reached after days of US pressure. It was another sign of tensions that tarnished the summit, undermining Biden’s efforts to reaffirm US leadership and tackle China’s growing economic footprint in the region. The message was blurred by a boycott by many leaders, including the president of Mexico, to protest Washington’s exclusion of left-wing rivals the United States, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The composition was reduced to 21 visiting heads of state and government. The government, which has a record flow of illegal immigrants to its southern border, has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Venezuelan immigrants, resumed family visa processing for Cubans and Haitians, and facilitated the hiring of workers in Central America. read more The announcements were part of the revelation of the US-led pact called the “Los Angeles Declaration” and aimed to spread responsibility throughout the region to reduce the immigration problem. The plan culminates in a summit designed to restore U.S. influence among its southern neighbors after years of neglect under former President Donald Trump. Biden proposed economic cooperation to help recover the region’s pandemic – although it appears to be a work in progress. But at the start of the summit on Thursday, leaders from Argentina and tiny Belize scolded Biden for the guest list, underscoring the global superpower’s challenge to regain its position among its poorest neighbors. On Friday, Chile, Bolivia, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda took part in the critique, although Biden was not present. “No one should exclude another country,” said Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrad, who is replacing President Manuel Lopez Obrador. US President Joe Biden, Brazilian President Zaire Bolsonaro, Colombian President Ivan Duce and other delegation leaders pose for a family photo during the Ninth US Summit in Los Angeles, CA 1022, California22 REUTERS / Mike Blake read more Sessions this week were regularly heard on the track “The Liberty Bell” by American composer John Philip Sousa, which became popular from the classic British comedy “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”.
“THERE IS NOTHING HERE”
U.S. officials have tried until the last minute to persuade skeptical governments to support the plan. The leaders pledged in the declaration “to step up national, regional and hemispheric efforts to create the conditions for safe, orderly, humane and regular migration.” Along with other leaders, Biden insisted that “illegal immigration is not acceptable” and expressed hope that other countries would join the project. Eric Olson, policy director at the Seattle International Foundation, called the declaration a “useful framework,” but said it was likely to have limited short-term implications because it was non-binding. Some initiatives mentioned by the White House have been announced before. Biden’s aides have dropped the immigration plan in part to help reduce labor shortages in the United States. Jorge Castaένeda, a former Mexican foreign minister, said the US commitments should allow Washington to claim that it had secured significant commitments, a domestic “political advantage” for Biden. But he added: “In essence, there is nothing here.” Mexico, whose border with the United States is the main point of immigration, backed the statement, despite the absence of Lopez Obrador. The absence of the leaders of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador – the northern triangle from which many immigrants come – has raised doubts about how effective the commitments will be. U.S. officials insisted the attendance did not prevent Washington from having results. The declaration includes commitments from a number of countries, including Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Belize and Ecuador. No mention was made, however, of commitments by Brazil, Latin America’s most populous nation. The announcement did not include US commitments on additional work visas for Mexicans. This will be part of Lopez Obrador’s visit to Biden next month, an official said. Spain has pledged to “double the number of work routes” for Honduras, the White House said. Madrid’s interim work program enrolls 250 Honduras, suggesting only a small increase. Restricting irregular immigration is a priority for Biden. Republicans seeking to regain control of Congress in the November election have underestimated the Democratic presidency for overturning Republican Trump’s restrictive immigration policies. But immigration had to compete with Biden’s other great challenges, such as high inflation, mass shootings, and the war in Ukraine. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Humeyra Pamuk, Daina Beth Solomon, Dave Graham, Matt Spetalnick, Trevor Hunnicutt, Lisanda Paraguassu and Ted Hesson. written by Matt Spetalnick. Editing: Jonathan Oatis, Alistair Bell and Grant McCool Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
