United States Gives Millions To Central American Nations To Deter Illegal Immigration, Yet Doesn't Keep Track Of Results

AP Photo/Santiago Billy

This weekend The Washington Post ran a story titled, "The Stay Here Center." The premise of the story is "A U.S.-funded school gives young Guatemalans job skills to find success in their own country." The question of the story is, "Will it keep them from migrating north?" But the answer to that question remains unclear because, despite United States taxpayers spending thousands on this school and millions more on similar programs, nobody is keeping track of whether or not these programs actually deter illegal immigration.

As reported by The Washington Post, "The Stay Here Center is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Guatemalan government in an attempt to stem the flow of migrants from Guatemala." Posted in the school are signs in Spanish warning of the dangers of traveling to America as well as guest lecturers who encourage students to stay in Guatemala. There are classes intended to teach skills such as cutting hair, so that young Guatemalan citizens seek work in their home country.

But, do these initiatives work?

As noted by the Post President Trump recently threatened to cut funding, such as the "hundreds of millions of dollars each year on programs such as the Stay Here Center, aimed at improving the lives of would-be migrants in their own communities so they don’t leave home in the first place," to Central American nations who do not stop illegal aliens from leaving.

The Post then says "Development experts and diplomats called the move self-defeating: Cutting programs aimed at curbing migration would only increase the flow of migrants."

Elena Guarcha Ixtos is shown after speaking with Pérez

about the center’s mission. One of her sons has already

made the journey north.

However, two paragraphs later, the paper contradicts itself by stating "It’s unclear whether this four-year-old school is helping. The school doesn’t maintain reliable metrics on its success at keeping students from migrating, and neither does USAID. Analysts have questioned whether any development program can effectively change migration patterns. Teachers here say students at the Stay Here Center leave all the time, abruptly setting off for the United States." (emphasis added)

Read the rest of the story HERE.

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