The Obama administration announced Wednesday that it’s making an effort to treat some would-be Central American immigrants as refugees, a move that came on the heels of sharp Democratic complains about its recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids against illegal immigrants.
The policy shift will “help vulnerable families and individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, offering a safe and legal alternative to the dangerous and irregular journey many are currently taking in the hands of human smugglers,” the State Department stated on Wednesday.
Under the new policy, potential immigrants would be able to apply for refugee status and seek asylum in the U.S. from their home countries, just as people fleeing conflicts in other countries can do.
As part of the effort, the U.S. will work with the United Nations and nonprofit groups “to identify persons in need of refugee protection — people targeted by criminal gangs, human rights defenders who have been targeted and others,” according to the State Department. “We also continue to explore additional options, including for those who may be at imminent risk of harm. Expanding resettlement opportunities is a key part of our broader response to the situation” of violence in Central America that has led an unprecedented number of families and unaccompanied minors to try and reach the U.S.
A White House spokesman denied that the administration expanding the program, like more than 100 Democrats requested in a recent letter, to appease Democrats. Instead, the change had been in the works, and was hinted at Monday by Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.
Many Democrats were angry at the holiday season raids that led to 121 apprehensions, and some went so far as to say the raids were something they’d expect from a Republican president, not President Obama. Democrats said the government needed to make more of an effort to ensure the raids weren’t breaking up families.
Secretary of State John Kerry explained the administration’s reasoning during a speech Wednesday at National Defense University.
“Global efforts also need to focus on ways to better integrate refugees into foreign communities in order to help them regain their dignity after the turmoil that they have endured, and this is in the best traditions of our country and many countries around the world,” Kerry said.
“That is why measures to help refugees build self reliance through education and opportunities for local employment are so important, so that the men, women and children who come to our nations are better equipped to contribute to the communities that welcome them,” he said.
Kerry was heading to nearby Silver Spring, Md., right after outlining to the military audience the administration’s foreign policy priorities for 2016 to visit a resettlement center.
The workers there have been helping refugees integrate “against a backdrop of some pretty nasty politics, with people making statement on the refugee issue that seem designed to scare our citizens, but have no basis in the facts,” Kerry said.
“Let me be very, very clear. We can both maintain the highest security standards and live up to our best traditions as Americans by welcoming those in need of help to our great country,” he said.
Vice President Joe Biden is leading a delegation to Guatemala on Thursday to participate in President-elect Jimmy Morales’ inauguration. Though such trips are largely ceremonial, he and the accompanying diplomats and lawmakers will undoubtedly discuss the border crisis with their counterparts.
Johnson will accompany Biden and the duo will hold meetings on the pressing crisis with Morales and leaders of neighboring countries.
This story was updated to correct that the program would apply to would-be immigrants, not those already in the United States.
