US signs Asylum Cooperation Agreement (ACA) with Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras

The nations of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras have all signed the Asylum Cooperation Agreement (ACA) with the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced.

In 2019, more than 71 percent of migrants apprehended at the U.S. Southwest border came from El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. This ACA agreement seeks to confront illegal migration at the source.

Through this agreement, the United States, in coordination with these countries, will be able to remove certain eligible migrants seeking humanitarian protection to each of the ACA countries. Through the implementation of the ACAs, the Northern Triangle countries and the United States reaffirm their commitment to combating mutual threats, including transnational criminal organizations and gangs, migrant smuggling, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, DHS is using every available tool at its disposal to mitigate the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis at the border. Implementation of the agreements will further strengthen the overall asylum capabilities in the Northern Triangle countries and across the region and will allow asylum seekers to access protection closer to their home. I want to thank our partners in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras for their hard work and leadership to get these agreements across the finish line,” Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said.

The United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras pledge to promote economic prosperity, regional security and stability, democratic institutions, and the protection of human rights.