Sec. 3. Sense of Congress
514 words·~2 min read·
/bill/114/hr/5850/ih/section-3·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the United States must address the violence and humanitarian crisis resulting in the elevated numbers of unaccompanied children, women, and refugees from the Northern Triangle arriving at the Southwestern border of the United States; the violence and humanitarian crisis has been prompted by the severe challenges posed by— high rates of homicide, sexual violence, and violent crime perpetrated by armed criminal actors; endemic corruption; and the limited ability and the lack of political will on the part of governments to protect their citizens and uphold the rule of law in the Northern Triangle; the United States must work with international partners— to address the complicated conditions in the Northern Triangle that contribute to the violence and humanitarian crisis; and to protect vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, fleeing violence in the region; the Plan of the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle, which was developed by the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, with the technical assistance of the Inter-American Development Bank, represents a comprehensive approach to address the complex situation in the Northern Triangle; the U.S.
Strategy for Engagement in Central America, as articulated by President Obama and Vice President Biden, provides important support for the Alliance for Prosperity and other United States national security priorities, including rule of law and anti-corruption initiatives; combating corruption in the Northern Triangle must remain a critical priority and the United Nation’s Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and the Organization of American States’ Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) are important contributions to this effort; the United States must continue to encourage the creation of a similar international commission to combat corruption and impunity in El Salvador; the governments of the Northern Triangle are urged to ensure that the Office of the Attorney General in each such country receives sufficient domestic budget allocations to carry out their core responsibilities and that budgeted funds are delivered in a timely manner; the United States should work in cooperation with the Government of Mexico in encouraging best practices consistent with international law and obligations regarding the protection of vulnerable populations such as women and children; the CAM Program provides a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to children fleeing violence in the Northern Triangle; the United States must— expand the CAM Program to ensure the safe and orderly processing of refugee children in the region; strengthen internal asylum systems in Mexico and other countries in the region to protect and process eligible children and families, including establishing and expanding in-country reception centers; expand access to legal representation for unaccompanied alien children facing United States immigration proceedings; and reduce delays in immigration courts, which contribute to misinformation that migrants who come to the United States will not be removed; and it is imperative for the United States to sustain a long-term commitment to addressing the factors causing Central Americans to flee their countries by strengthening citizen security, the rule of law, democratic governance, the protection of human rights, and inclusive economic growth in the Northern Triangle.