Readout of Vice President Biden's Calls with Central American Presidents

Vice President Biden followed up today on his June 20 visit to Guatemala by calling Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, and El Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren. The Vice President reviewed joint efforts to address the surge of unaccompanied minors and adults with children migrating to the United States, including awareness campaigns to warn about dangers involved in travel to the U.S. and to counter misinformation about US immigration policy spread by criminal smuggling organizations; stopping and prosecuting smugglers travelling with migrants; and addressing the root causes of the problem. The Vice President discussed the Administration's $3.7 billion request to Congress for an emergency supplemental appropriation to handle the situation on the border in a timely and efficient way. The funding request includes $300 million to help governments repatriate and reintegrate migrants, as well as to help create the economic, social, governance and citizen security conditions to address factors contributing to increases in migration.

The Central American presidents reaffirmed their commitment to working in partnership with the United States to demonstrate concrete results in countering transnational criminal elements, stemming the flow of illegal migration, expanding the capacity to receive and repatriate individuals and family units, and promoting security and economic opportunity in Central America.