US Wants Mexico to Ramp up Security Targeting Central American Migrants

Donald Trump’s administration is attempting to leverage its southern neighbor Mexico to cut the flow of migrants fleeing north from Central America, one of the world's most violent and insecure parts of the world, according to Mexican and U.S. officials.

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John Kelly, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is reportedly pressuring Mexico to take on greater responsibility in the region over security and governance by reworking the Obama-era Alliance for Prosperity, as well as pumping private investment into the region.

The Alliance for Prosperity is a four-way agreement between the U.S. and the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. In 2016, U.S. Congress approved US$750 in “development assistance” which has been used to bolster security, anti-gang and economic support in the region in a bid to stem the flow of migrants fleeing violence and economic desperation.

The Migrant flow fleeing the Northern Triangle and commonly ending up in the U.S. and Mexico has been deemed a refugee crisis, with the fear that Trump’s tough border policies will only worsen the problem.  

According to Reuters the meeting will take place in Miami in June between U.S., Mexican and Central America officials, where Mexico’s role in a rebranded alliance will be discussed.

William Brownfield, the U.S. assistant secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, explained that the revamped plan in the region would see “greater engagement directly between the Central Americans and Mexican government." Under a new plan Mexico could be used to help train and coordinate with Central American officials including law enforcement and security forces across border zones.

Brownfield added that the rebranded plan is expected to be carried out of the U.S. State Department and USAID to entice investment and will be closely coordinated by the DHS. He also praised the work of the alliance in helping to reduce homicide rates in the northern triangle.

However, there is concern that a new plan could see an increased militarization in the region to fuel wars against drugs and organized crime, but will lead to increased of human rights abuses.

A March 2016 report from the Council on Hemispheric Affairs said that because the Alliance for Prosperity plan fails to address the underlying problems of poverty and violence that fuel migration, “it could end up harming, rather than aiding, Central Americans in the long term.”

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Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray has said publicly that Mexico is willing to work with the United States in stabilizing Central America, but has not given any more details of how this would carry out in practice.

The news of the rebranded alliance comes amid increased diplomatic tension between Mexico and the U.S. first started off by Trump’s election promise to build a border wall between the two countries and forcing Mexico to pay for it.

The U.S. had previously pressured Mexico to deport migrants from third countries, who were awaiting trial. The U.S. has long been Mexico’s biggest trading partner and there has been recent talk of Trump negotiating the NAFTA free trade agreement after he had earlier threatened to pull out U.S. support.