Major Changes to US Migration Policy in the Americas
The new US administration is implementing radical changes to US migration policy. In the first days of his second term, President Trump signed Executive Orders and adopted other measures to accelerate the removal of undocumented migrants and stem the flow of new arrivals at the Southwest border.
A dramatic increase in expulsions would have profound effects in the Western Hemisphere, reducing remittances, increasing unemployment, and straining US diplomatic relationships. The deportations would challenge the ability of governments to reintegrate returned citizens and disrupt regional cooperation mechanisms, including the Los Angeles Declaration for Migration and Protection. At the same time, by discouraging irregular migration, the new policies could help mitigate the regional migration crisis, should migrants opt to stay home rather than attempt the dangerous and costly trip to the United States, including the hundreds of thousands of migrants who yearly cross the deadly Darién Gap jungle between Colombia and Panama.
How will Latin American governments react to sharply rising removals and demands for increased cooperation, including requests to accept deportees under the threat of economic punishment? How could the United States carry out these measures while preserving regional cooperation on migration? Join the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, from 9:30 am to 10:30 am ET, for an in-person conversation on the future of US migration policy in the Americas.
Event Sponsors
Speakers
Introduction
Moderator
Hosted By
Latin America Program
The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
Brazil Institute
The Brazil Institute—the only country-specific policy institution focused on Brazil in Washington—aims to deepen understanding of Brazil’s complex landscape and strengthen relations between Brazilian and US institutions across all sectors. Read more