U.S. pledges $1.9B in private funds to address migration

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday pledged over $1.9 billion in private funds to address the root causes of migration from Central America.

Addressing the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, Harris said the fund will be used in "new private sector commitments to create economic opportunity in northern Central America."

The fund will support the U.S. Strategy to Address the Root Causes of Migration, which was launched by Harris in July 2021 and which aligns American efforts to address the economic, governance, and security drivers of irregular migration from Central America, according to a White House statement.

"The announcement today builds on the announcement the Vice President made in December 2021 of $1.2 billion in private sector commitments. Aggregate commitments under this initiative now total more than $3.2 billion," the statement added.

The summit which will run through June 10 has been snubbed by the leaders of Mexico and other countries after Washington declined an invitation to Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.