It was a little less than a year ago that tens of thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America crossed the Rio Grande into Texas. Now as the peak migration season approaches federal officials are watching to see whether a recently implemented plan will prevent another surge of children coming over the southern U.S. border.
Ambassador Thomas Shannon says the plan, known as the “Alliance for Prosperity,” is a joint effort between the United States and the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The countries are trying to discourage migration by providing greater economic opportunities in the Central American countries. The effort also seeks to reduce the danger from criminal gangs that prompted many migrants to flee.
Ambassador Shannon is a senior advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry. This week he traveled to San Antonio to talk with the World Affairs Council about the U.S. Response to the Central American migration. Then he sat down with Texas Public Radio’s Shelley Kofler.
In this interview Ambassador talks about the likelihood of another mass migration; the education and economic programs designed to prevent a recurrence; the President’s budget request to address migration, and what happened to the children who were detained last year.