Obama Bringing Central American Leaders to White House to Talk Immigration

President Obama has not gone down to see the influx of illegal immigration overwhelming the southern border, yet will host Central American leaders at the White House next week to talk immigration reform.

“President Obama will welcome President Otto Perez Molina of Guatemala, President Juan Orlando Hernandez of Honduras, and President Salvador Sanchez Ceren of El Salvador to the White House on July 25,” press secretary Josh Earnest announced in a statement late Friday afternoon.

“The four leaders and Vice President Biden will discuss how to reinforce our ongoing collaboration to stem the flow of undocumented migrants from Central America to Mexico and the United States. This will include discussion of how the United States and Central American governments are cooperating to promote safe, legal, and orderly migration between our countries in a spirit of shared responsibility, including with respect to the return of family units, which began this week for all three countries,” the statement continued.

“The leaders will also discuss how we can work together with other members of the international community to foster development, economic growth, and security in the region and address the factors that are causing Central American citizens to undertake the dangerous journey to the United States. The Vice President will also host a lunch for the three leaders prior to the meeting with President Obama to continue the dialogue he began on this topic in his June 20 meeting in Guatemala City.”

Obama has requested $3.7 billion in emergency appropriations to address the immigration influx, many of them unaccompanied minors, but will not entertain bipartisan proposals to reform a 2008 law that is keeping Central American migrants in the country for an extended period of time for amnesty proceedings — until Congress passes his funding.

“Last year President Obama suspended the policy of immediately returning of illegal immigrants caught at the border. Consequently, thousands of families in Central America have taken the President’s unilateral decision as an open invitation to send their children to the United States. This is unacceptable and has created a massive crisis. Our nation has immigration laws and those laws MUST be enforced. We need to treat these children humanely, but they should then be sent back to their country of origin as soon as possible,” Texas Rep. Joe Barton (R) said Thursday.

“I am also adamantly against the President’s recent request for $3.7 billion emergency funding for the border. His plan focuses on treating the symptoms and not the disease. I am staying in constant contact with Republican leaders as we craft a plan to secure the border and stop the free flow of illegal immigrants into Texas.”