As directed by President Joe Biden, the Departments of State and Homeland Security, DHS, have initiated the first phase of reinstituting and improving
the CAM program to reunite qualified children from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras with their parents who are lawfully
present in the United States. - Voice Of America photo -
U.S. to resume Central American minors program, says report
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Published Monday, March 15, 2021
International News
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
As another concrete step in implementing a comprehensive immigration plan, the U.S. is expanding legal pathways for youth in the Central American Minors program, CAM, according to an announcement made last week by the U.S. Department of State.
As directed by President Joe Biden, the Departments of State and Homeland Security, DHS, have initiated the first phase of reinstituting and improving the CAM program to reunite qualified children from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras with their parents who are lawfully present in the United States.
According to the Department of State, this program provides a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the risks incurred in the attempt to migrate to the United States irregularly.
"The U.S. southern border remains closed to irregular migration, and we reiterate our warning that people not attempt that dangerous journey," they added.
The State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, PRM, is working closely with DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, to reopen the program in two phases: the first will process eligible applications that were closed when the program was terminated in 2017, and the second will begin to accept new applications with updated guidelines to follow.
PRM and USCIS have already identified all suspended cases eligible for reopening and will coordinate with domestic resettlement agencies to contact eligible parents in order to verify that they are still lawfully present in the United States and wish to reopen their child’s case.
Once this verification has taken place, PRM will instruct its Resettlement Support Center based in El Salvador to contact the children and family members in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to begin case processing.
Authorities anticipate that the first contact with parents will begin this week.
PRM and USCIS are also developing plans to expand the program and accept new applications. It is expected they provide more details in the coming weeks.
"Together with other efforts across the U.S. Government, reopening the CAM program is an important step toward expanding lawful pathways for humanitarian protection and opportunity in the United States," added the Department of State in its statement.
According to the authorities, during the life of the program, nearly 5,000 children were reunited with their families. "The program reflects our values as a nation and represents our continued commitment to ensuring that our immigration system treats people with dignity and respect and protects the most vulnerable, especially children," they added.
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