White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that the US has struck a border deal with Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras aimed at curbing the surge in migrants illegally entering the country. 

Psaki said, “The objective is to make it more difficult to make the journey and make crossing the borders more difficult.” She added that the countries South to the US will “increase law enforcement at the border to deter the travel.”

The move comes after a major surge was seen in the asylum seeker, illegal immigrants and unaccompanied children crossing the southern border of the US, reported AFP.

Biden’s advisor Tyler Moran in an interview on Monday told reporters that the governments of Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras have agreed to beef up security at the borders. This means “more troops on their own border. Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala have all agreed to do this.

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He added, “That not only is going to prevent the traffickers and the smugglers and cartels that take advantage of the kids on their way here, but also to protect those children,” Moran said.

President Biden had promised more humane policies for migrants and asylum seekers while assuming office. However, the Biden administration has been struggling to handle the migrant crisis, reported AFP. 

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Former President Donald Trump was widely criticized for his harsh border policies but the idea of countries South to the US deploying their troops at the borders to prevent migration was his brainchild.