At the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California last week, President Biden and leaders of Latin American countries signed the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration that made numerical and funding pledges to allow more people fleeing political and economic strife to cross their borders and receive protection. The declaration was signed by 20 countries in an effort to reach consensus in the region to take more responsibility for those who are displaced and build upon the existing efforts of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. The following are some of the pledges that were made under this declaration:

✔︎ The United States committed to accepting 20,000 refugees from Latin America over the next two years, a threefold increase.

✔︎ President Biden pledged to provide an additional 11,500 H-2B nonagricultural seasonal worker visas for Central Americans and Haitians.

✔︎ The United States committed to resuming the Cuban and Haitian Family Reunification Parole Programs, which allows certain US citizens and permanent residents to apply for parole for their family members in Haiti and Cuba to come to the United States.

✔︎ The United States committed to a new initiative to prevent human smuggling, for which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) already sent more than 1,300 personnel to Latin America and the Southwest border.

✔︎ Mexico pledged to accept up to 20,000 more temporary workers and start a program for an additional 20,000 Guatemalans who are looking for work in Mexico.

✔︎ Ecuador issued an executive decree that created a path to regular migration status for Venezuelans who entered the country regularly through an official port of entry.

✔︎ Canada pledged to accept 4,000 refugees from the Americas by 2028.

✔︎ Spain will double the number of labor pathways for Hondurans to participate in Spain’s circular migration programs for temporary agricultural work.

✔︎ Costa Rica and Colombia also committed to increase their efforts to manage the flow of refugees fleeing Venezuela.

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