On behalf of President Biden, I want to thank each of you for being here today.
The Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection embodies our shared values and our commitment to work together to elevate the welfare and security of our entire hemisphere. As I listened to each of your remarks, I reflected on how much we have accomplished since your leaders joined President Biden on the podium in Los Angeles a little more than two years ago.
We have taken key actions to disrupt the smuggling networks that exploit vulnerable migrants through coordinated enforcement efforts.
We have expanded lawful pathways as an alternative to the risks inherent in irregular migration.
And collectively, we have fostered the long-term stabilization and integration of migrants.
I will provide some details to illustrate more vividly what we have done on each of these three pillars of the Los Angeles Declaration.
Enforcement
Together, we are using our immigration and law enforcement tools to deter irregular migration and disrupt transnational criminal organizations that put migrants' lives at risk for profit.
We are encouraged by how many countries have taken concrete actions to increase enforcement, including by putting in place strong visa requirements and increasing information sharing. We know this is a challenge that can only be met if we work together.
And we have:
- Adopted new rules and processes to strengthen the consequences in place at our border, including refined procedures announced by President Biden on June 4.
- Increased biometric information sharing across the region to identify bad actors before they enter any of our borders;
- Imposed visa restrictions and financial sanctions, and prosecuted human smugglers;
So many of these efforts have been done in close coordination with all of you.
Lawful Pathways
The Biden-Harris Administration has also expanded lawful pathways to encourage migrants to apply to come to the United States from their home countries rather than making the dangerous journey to our border.
That is why we launched the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, Venezuelan parole process - with notable results.
We are also on track to welcome the largest number of refugees in three decades. This would not have been possible without the Safe Mobility Initiative and our partnership with Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador.
As part of today's funding announcement, we are providing an additional $83 million to help resettle more refugees and refer migrants to additional pathways as well, including temporary labor opportunities in the United States and other countries.
Stabilization and Integration
And finally, I want to join Secretary Blinken in applauding the pioneering and generous policies that are enabling the stabilization and integration of migrants.
This is a story that I think will be told for years to come: how Latin America rallied together in the face of the historic displacement of 8 million people from Venezuela and rose up to become a model for the world of how to respond to this kind of mass migration with pragmatism and humanity.
We applaud so many of the countries represented here for opening your doors to displaced migrants and giving them hope for their future, enabling them to obtain formal employment, access basic social services, and put their kids in school.
With today's announcements, over half of the Los Angeles Declaration countries have implemented migrant regularization policies, collectively providing legal status to 4.4 million mostly Venezuelan migrants.
The United States is proud to support these efforts. As part of today's $686 million funding announcement by Secretary of State Blinken, the United States will assist partner countries as you implement regularization programs and successfully integrate newcomers. In addition, we will continue to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to help the most vulnerable Venezuelans, both inside Venezuela and throughout the region.
Closing
For President Biden, the Los Angeles Declaration was never just a piece of paper that each country signed; it was a call to action.
And I am confident that with our continued commitment to the Declaration, including the establishment of an enduring Secretariat with Colombia as our first Country Chair, we will continue showing the world that regional collaboration can effectively and humanely address the migratory challenges that we face in our Hemisphere.
Thank you.
