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Obama to meet Central American leaders on immigration Obama: Migrant youths without claims will be sent home
(about 1 hour later)
President Barack Obama has met Central American leaders to discuss the plight of the undocumented migrant children flooding across the US border. President Barack Obama has told Central American leaders that migrant children flooding into the US without legitimate legal claims will be sent home.
The presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador arrived at the White House on Friday. The presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador met Mr Obama at the White House on Friday to discuss the crisis at the US southern border.
They were scheduled to explore a potential programme that would give refugee status to youth from Honduras. More than 50,000 children, many unaccompanied, have been detained at the border since October.
More than 50,000 unaccompanied children have been detained trying to cross the southern US border since October. Mr Obama said they must deter more children from attempting the journey.
"We expect that the solution to this problem also is equal for the three countries," Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina said on Thursday of immigration discussions. "All of us recognise that we have a shared responsibility to address this problem," Mr Obama told reporters at the White House on Friday, flanked by Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren.
'Blank cheque' He praised his Central American counterparts for their ongoing efforts within their own nations to deter children from travelling illegally to the US, but said more work must be done to combat the "significant challenge".
Mr Molina was joined by Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren in the talks. "We have to deter a continuing influx of children putting themselves at great risk," he said. But he said, "Children who do not have proper claims and families with children who do not have proper claims at some point will be subject to repatriation to their home countries."
On the agenda was an initiative in Honduras, which may involve screening children there to determine if they are eligible for refugee status in the US. The migrants - mostly from Central America - have been driven north by a spike in gang violence in their home countries, by extreme poverty, and amid incorrect rumours children will be allowed to stay if they make it across the border.
Depending on its success, the programme may expand to other Central American nations. Also at issue is a 2008 US law that grants unaccompanied children from countries that do not border the US an automatic asylum hearing, thereby preventing their immediate removal from the country.
It is the latest immigration effort embarked upon by the Obama administration, which requested $3.7bn (£2.2bn) in emergency spending earlier this month to combat the crisis. In his remarks, Mr Obama called on Republicans in Congress to postpone their upcoming August recess until they can approve legislation increasing funding to ease the crisis.
The emergency funding request included money for the hiring of extra immigration judges, drone surveillance of the border, medical services and transportation costs, and expanding a border security task force in Central America. Earlier this month, his administration requested $3.7bn (£2.2bn) in emergency funds for tighter border security, care for the children, detention and removal programmes, and immigration courts.
Where the $3.7bn would goWhere the $3.7bn would go
Source: White HouseSource: White House
But Republican lawmakers said they would not give Mr Obama a "blank cheque" to combat the immigration crisis without additional policy changes. But Republican lawmakers said they would not give Mr Obama a "blank cheque" without changes to US immigration policy.
Instead House Republicans are developing an immigration proposal not to exceed $1.5bn, while Senate Democrats are floating one for $3.6bn to meet increased immigration and security needs. Conservative politicians have blamed Mr Obama's immigration policy for the crisis, and some in the Congress have called for the repeal of the 2008 asylum law.
The migrants - mostly from Central America - are believed to be driven north by a spike in gang violence in their home countries and incorrect rumours children will be allowed to stay if they make it across the border. Meanwhile, House Republicans are developing an immigration proposal not to exceed $1.5bn, while Senate Democrats are floating one for $3.6bn to meet increased immigration and security needs.
Also at issue is a 2008 law that grants unaccompanied children from countries that do not border the US an automatic asylum hearing, thereby preventing their immediate removal from the country. "We need action and less talk," Mr Obama said of Congressional politicians, naming Republican House Speaker John Boehner in particular.
Republicans have blamed Mr Obama's immigration policy for the crisis, and some in the Congress have called for the repeal of the 2008 asylum law.
Meanwhile, the US president has harshly criticised House Republicans for not holding a vote on an broad immigration bill passed by the Democratic-led Senate last year.
The Central American leaders met members of Congress on Capitol Hill on Thursday as they continue to consider Mr Obama's request for additional funds and authority at the border.