Senators criticize recent Central American agreements to address border crisis

WASHINGTON – Several Democratic senators sparred with representatives of the Trump administration Wednesday over recent agreements to divert asylum seekers to Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

The senators objected in a foreign relations committee meeting that the administration has not shared with Congress the agreements with the three countries. The lawmakers also criticized the “safe third country” initiatives, given the violence and other dangers in the three nations.

“There is no justification for withholding this information from Congress and from the American people, other than this administration does not want the public to know what it’s doing in the name of the United States,” said Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

President Donald Trump entered a “Safe Third Country” agreement in July with Guatemala, with El Salvador last Friday, and with Honduras on Wednesday, the same day at the hearing.

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