The Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, launched in 2022 under the leadership of President Joe Biden, aims to address the challenges of irregular migration and forced displacement in the Western Hemisphere. This commitment involves the cooperation of 22 countries to promote a safe, humane, and orderly approach to migration. The White House factsheet published September 26 highlighted significant progress on the three pillars of the Declaration: addressing the root causes of migration, expanding legal pathways, and strengthening humanitarian law enforcement.

The context for the publication of the fact sheet was the fourth Los Angeles Ministerial Declaration, held on September 25, 2024, in which Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced more than $686 million in humanitarian and economic assistance, bringing the total U.S. commitment in 2024 to more than $1.2 billion. These resources aim to support the regularization and integration of migrants, in addition to discouraging irregular migration. New measures were also announced to curb the exploitation of vulnerable migrants, such as the implementation of a removal program in partnership with Panama and visa restrictions for companies that facilitate irregular migration.

The publication emphasizes the creation of a Secretariat to ensure sustainable progress in migration management, with the Pan American Development Foundation and the Organization of American States at the forefront of this institutionalization. In 2025, Colombia will assume the rotating presidency and host the next ministerial meeting.

The Declaration points to the possible significant advances in the implementation of migration control policies. They report that since the adoption of stricter measures, such as the restriction of asylum for migrants who cross the US border illegally, encounters at the southern border have decreased dramatically. In addition, countries such as Panama and Guatemala have stepped up their efforts to remove and combat human trafficking with U.S. support.

Another highlight of the document is the expansion of legal pathways for migration. The Biden-Harris administration has revamped the refugee resettlement program, setting the goal of welcoming 100,000 refugees in fiscal year 2024. Regional partnerships have also been highlighted, with countries such as Belize, Canada, and Ecuador developing initiatives to facilitate labor mobility and the resettlement of migrants.

The third key area of the Declaration deals with the long-term stabilization of communities affected by migration. According to the document, U.S. financial aid supports urgent needs of migrants, such as food and shelter, in addition to promoting the economic and social integration of these populations. Countries such as Argentina, Colombia and Mexico are implementing new policies to regularize and support migrants, allowing millions of people to rebuild their lives with legal status.

In summary, the Los Angeles Declaration seeks to demonstrate a joint effort by countries in the Western Hemisphere to address migration in a coordinated and sustainable manner. Through humanitarian actions, regularization policies, and law enforcement measures, the endorsing countries declare that they seek to promote regional stability and ensure that migration occurs in an orderly and safe manner.