"I'm pleased to announce the US and our Northern Triangle allies have reached a historic agreement to confront the root causes of the crisis on our border", Nielsen said via Twitter on Wednesday. "Working with Central American governments to increase security and prosperity in the region has been one of my greatest priorities".
READ MORE: US Authorities Halt Record-Size Caravan Crossing Border — Border Agency
Earlier on Wednesday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said the agency has reached a breaking point with the mass surge of asylum-seeking migrants presenting themselves in between ports of entry at the US-Mexico border. McAleenan also said the agency has been overwhelmed as estimated 100,000 migrants were apprehended in March.
Thousands of migrants from Central America as well as from other countries have moved to the US-Mexico border in order to seek asylum, prompting the US government to deploy troops to the southern frontier.
The latest migrant caravan reportedly set off toward the United States earlier this week. Many of the migrants claim they are fleeing persecution, violence and poverty in their home countries. In early March, the US Customs and Border Protection said that more than 76,000 undocumented migrants crossed into the United States in February, which is an 11-year high.
READ MORE: Trump Says Mexico Doing Nothing to Stop New Migrant Caravan
Moreover, Trump declared a national emergency last month to free up to $8 billion in federal funding to build a wall on the US southern border. The president has said the wall is needed to prevent criminals and terrorists from pouring into the United States.
