Biden Hosts Costa Rican President Amid Surging Migration in the Western Hemisphere
President Joe Biden welcomed Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves Robles to the White House to discuss the record number of migrants heading to the United States. The two leaders discussed the 2022 Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, which aims to expand temporary worker programs, strengthen legal pathways for refugees and family reunification, support countries hosting large migrant populations, and crack down on human smuggling networks. The Biden administration is facing immense pressure as migration in the Western Hemisphere reaches new records, with thousands more people expected to arrive at the US southern border this fall. The visit highlighted the importance of US relationships in managing the flow of migrants, particularly with countries like Costa Rica that serve as transit points. The US has launched initiatives such as safe mobility offices to provide legal pathways for migrants to apply to migrate to the US and other countries, instead of making the dangerous journey north.