US, Mexico agree on plan to handle migrant caravan from Central America

U.S. and Mexican officials have agreed on a plan to handle the approaching migrant caravan making their way up from Central America, a senior administration official told Fox News on Thursday.

Under the deal, which was developed over the course of several months, Mexico will request that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) establish shelters along its southern border with Central America, the official said.

“We welcome the government of Mexico’s statement that they will seek cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to address immigration issues in the region, including the influx of people arriving in Mexico,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. “The United States stands ready to assist the Government of Mexico and UNHCR in this effort.”

If an individual manages to evade the new system and travels through Mexico to eventually cross the border into the U.S., Mexico will now allow those persons to be returned to Mexico, the official told Fox News. Currently, the U.S. has had to house those people until their cases could be adjudicated before being removed to their country of origin.

At the established shelters, U.N. officials will vet the refugees to decide which ones have legitimate claims for refugee status, the official told Fox News.

If a person or persons is determined to have a legitimate claim, they will undergo a U.N. process of being placed in a host country, which could ultimately be the U.S. or any other country that has an agreement with the UNHCR, the official said.

All those discovered without a legitimate claim will be sent home, the official said. And those who don’t have correct documentation will be turned away at the Mexico border.

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