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Vice President Kamala Harris touched on the root causes of migration during a speech before CEOs at the Summit of the Americas, a gathering of leaders from North, Central, and South America.
While the speech touched on wider issues of economic equality and the promise of public/private partnerships, Harris also mentioned addressing the root causes of migration, which has become a highly controversial topic during the Biden administration.
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“I do believe most people don’t want to leave home,” she said. “They don’t want to leave their grandmother. They don’t want to leave the place where they work, shop, and the community they’ve always known. When they do, it’s for one of two reasons — they are fleeing harm or, to stay, they cannot satisfy their basic needs or the needs of their family.”
Harris has been tapped as border czar under President Joe Biden, but immigration has surged at the southern border since the pair took office in January 2021. The issue continues drawing headlines as a migrant caravan traveling through Mexico to the United States could become the largest ever.
While the vice president didn’t speak specifically about immigration policy during her speech, she mentioned the need for greater economic opportunities in the region.
“Economic inequality in our hemisphere is among the worst in the world,” she said. “Women and girls in our hemisphere face far too many barriers and far too few opportunities.”
Harris told the story of a hypothetical single mother of two in rural Honduras who does not have steady work. If greater private investment came to her town, she may be able to find employment, move up the economic ladder, and break the cycle of poverty without leaving home.
“This scenario is then our vision for millions of people as part of our strategy to address the root causes of migration from Central America,” she said. “Last year, I began work to lead this effort.”
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Earlier this week, Harris announced that 10 new companies have pledged to pour more than $1.9 billion in investments into El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Companies and nonprofit organizations, including the Gap, Visa, Coatl, and AgroAmerica, were among the newest batch of government partners.
GDP per capita was about $63,000 in the U.S. in 2020, according to World Bank data. In comparison, GDP per capita, adjusted for purchasing power, was $8,853.7 in Guatemala, $8,420 in El Salvador, and $5,420 in Honduras.
The number of people encountered at the southern border from countries other than Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras made up 40% of all encounters at the border between September 2021 and March 2022, according to Customs and Border Protection data.
“The climate crisis is mounting, and we continue to see corruption, migration flows, and democratic backsliding and violence,” said Harris. “These issues affect all of us, and the solutions then must involve all of us.”
