Epoch Times:

Shortly after overseeing the signing of a “safe third country” asylum agreement with Guatemala at the Oval Office on July 26, President Donald Trump told reporters that he expects to soon sign similar deals with Honduras and El Salvador.

Prior to the pact with Guatemala, Trump had already secured help from Mexico to tackle the migration crisis. In both cases, the president used the threat of tariffs to compel the two nations to cooperate, suggesting that the option of a tariff threat is on the table in dealing with Honduras and El Salvador as well.

“We have other great countries that are going to be signing up also,” Trump said.

Asked later if he expected to reach similar agreements with Honduras and El Salvador, Trump replied, “I do indeed.”

Migrants from Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras account for 74 percent of the cases in U.S. immigration courts. In addition to their nationals who continue to pour into the United States, these countries serve as the major transit corridor for migrants from more than 200 other nations traveling en route to the United States.

As a result, cooperation from the four nations is crucial to stemming the flow of migrants to the U.S. southern border, especially at a time when Democrats in Congress continue to refuse to work with the Trump administration on legislation to patch up the loopholes in the U.S. immigration system. The president said the deals with Honduras and El Salvador may come “pretty soon,” suggesting that his international diplomacy may end up addressing a crisis largely perceived as a domestic issue under the purview of Congress. read more