President Joe Biden hosted Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves at the White House on Tuesday as they discussed how to grapple with a record number of migrants in the region headed toward the U.S.
The meeting came amid the unprecedented movement of migrants through the Central American nation on their way to the U.S. southern border. A significant number of migrants fleeing the violence and chaos in Nicaragua and Venezuela have arrived in Costa Rica, putting pressure on the nation’s already strained asylum system.
Mr. Biden thanked his counterpart for his “leadership with mitigation challenges” among other issues, including fighting organized crime.
Mr. Chaves expressed that Costa Rica will remain one of the U.S.’s “strongest alliances in the world” regarding economic and security interests.
“I agree fully with your vision, the vision of the people of this great country, where prosperity should be shared widely, generated and shared widely, and that we have challenges to the generation of that prosperity and the quality of life of our people, including security,” he said.
In June, the two countries reached an agreement to allow legal pathways to the U.S. for Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants, who accounted for 240,000 of the asylum seekers in Costa Rica. Last year, Nicaraguans accounted for nine out of the 10 applicants.
The strain has also put an immense strain on the Biden administration, which is still facing potentially thousands more migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border this fall.
After a sharp drop in June, the number of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border surged in July. There were roughly 99,500 crossings in June, a 42% drop in May after the administration launched a new asylum rule. However, crossings increased in July to more than 132,000.
The increase is alarming to the administration and threatens to put the thorny political issue at the forefront of next year’s presidential election.
By inviting Mr. Robles to the White House, the administration is emphasizing how much it views Costa Rica as a partner to stem the flow of migrants. It is one of the strongest allies in the region, which has been impacted by dictators, violence, and economic chaos in recent years.
