US President Joe Biden will host the first summit of a group of nations from the Americas in November, the White House said, as he tries to curb migration ahead of elections in 2024.
Biden will welcome leaders of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, which groups Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay.
“During the summit, president Biden will reaffirm the United States’ commitment to work together with our partners to deepen economic integration in our hemisphere,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
The summit would also “tackle the underlying economic drivers of irregular migration in our hemisphere.”
Illegal immigration has become a major political headache for Democrat Biden, with opposition Republicans accusing him of lax border policies.
On Friday he requested $14 billion in border funds from Congress as part of a huge national security package that also includes military aid for Israel and Ukraine.
The United States has been working with a number of countries in the region to curb the flow of migrants.
Earlier this month his administration announced plans to extend the border wall with Mexico, a policy introduced by his Republican predecessor and likely 2024 rival Donald Trump.
But Biden insisted that funds for the extension were already earmarked by law and had to be used, adding that he thought border walls didn’t work.
