WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2018) President Donald Trump is being warned that his threat to cut off or substantially reduce US aid to three Central American nations over a US-bound migrant caravan would have the unintended consequence of increasing illegal immigration to the United States from the targeted nations of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Congresswoman Nita Lowey said in a press release.
"Congress provides assistance to Central American countries to make those countries safer and more stable, addressing the root causes of why people want to leave in the first place," Lowey said on Monday. "Cutting funding would make the problem worse, not better."
Lowey, like other lawmakers, is also questioning whether Trump has the legal authority to halt aid that has been approved by Congress.
At issue is a migrant caravan of at least 7,200 refugees who have entered Mexico in recent days, according to the latest UN estimate, many if not most of whom are headed to the US border to apply for political asylum.
In the fiscal year that just ended, US aid to Guatemala, Honduras and to El Salvador totaled nearly $200 million.
