The Case for Aid to Central America

*It’s frustrating that we’re talking about this as if it were a novel idea. The obvious way to  curb undocumented immigration is to develop the places they’re fleeing. VL

By New York Times Editorial Board

There are two important policy debates in Washington that deal with the vexing problem of illegal immigration. One is being approached intelligently; the other is decidedly not.

The first debate involves the Obama administration’s request for $1 billion in next year’s budget for development programs in Central America, a funding level that would roughly triple  the assistance Washington currently contributes to the region.

If the administration succeeds in significantly ramping up aid to Central America, it stands a much better chance of meaningfully tackling the root causes of instability that over the decades have led thousands of people to embark on dangerous journeys to the United States searching for a better life.

The second debate is about the budget of the Department of Homeland Security. Republicans offered to allocate funding for the department, which includes the agencies that handle immigration benefits and enforce immigration laws, on the condition that the Obama asministration’s program to shield certain immigrants from deportation be scrapped. Democratic lawmakers have pushed back.

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