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WASHINGTON - U.S Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Guatemala and Mexico this week, bringing a message of hope to a region hammered by COVID-19 and which is the source of most of the undocumented migrants seeking entry in the U.S.

Harris is taking her first trip abroad as President Joe Biden's deputy with an eye towards tackling the root causes of migration from the region -- one of the thorniest issues facing the White House.

"We have to give people a sense of hope, a sense of hope that help is on the way, a sense of hope that if they stay, things will get better," Harris has said, after Biden tasked her with leading diplomatic efforts on the issue in March.

She is set to fly Sunday to Guatemala, where she will meet with President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday before setting off to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday.

Harris also has plans to meet with community, labor and business leaders, according to her team.

Harris said she hopes to have "very frank and honest discussions" about corruption, crime and violence.

Detentions of undocumented travelers, including unaccompanied minors, along the US-Mexico border hit a 15-year record high in April, with nearly 180,000 people intercepted -- more than 80% of them coming from Mexico or the so-called Northern Triangle of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Vaccines, TPS, Title 42

Donation of coronavirus vaccines by the United States to the region is also expected to be up for discussion.

Harris already addressed the subject over the phone with Giammattei and Lopez Obrador on Thursday, just before Biden announced the shipment of a first batch of 6 million doses to be distributed in Central America and the Caribbean through the global Covax program, plus others to be sent directly from Washington to partner countries such as Mexico.

For security and democracy expert Rebecca Bill Chavez, "a real commitment" on the number of doses destined for the Northern Triangle would be "one very positive outcome" of Harris's trip.

Another potential topic is the possibility of granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Guatemalans living in the United States, allowing them to work legally.

And there could be talk in Mexico of the end of "Title 42," a Trump-era coronavirus policy allowing the immediate deportation of undocumented migrants -- even those who arrive seeking asylum.

'A lot tougher'

The vice president's trip to Central America is part of the Biden administration's promise of a more humane immigration policy -- in contrast to the hardline approach taken by his predecessor Donald Trump.

But Harris faces challenges even more complicated than the ones Biden dealt with as vice president under Barack Obama, when he himself was charged with handling the same matter.

"The conditions have deteriorated dramatically since 2014," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, referring to a worsening economic situation and an increase in violence, both exacerbated by the pandemic.

Harris's work is therefore "a lot tougher," Shifter said, "because the (country) partners are far more problematic."

The relationship between Washington and El Salvador has been tense since the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly, led by the ruling party, fired judges and the attorney general May 1, and after the U.S. labeled members of President Nayib Bukele's government as corrupt.

And Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was implicated of cocaine trafficking in a New York court earlier this year.

A group of 18 US Democratic senators wrote a letter to Harris ahead of her trip.

"Ensuring stability in Central America directly supports the national interests of the United States," said the group, led by Foreign Relations Committee head Bob Menendez.

The Republican opposition, on the other hand, has accused Biden of creating a "crisis" on the country's southern border.

Congress must still decide whether to approve the $861 million Biden has asked for next year as part of his $4 billion plan to take on the issue of illegal immigration.

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US Vice President to Bring Message of 'Hope' to Guatemala and Mexico - Voice of America

Apparently taking a page from George Soros-backed progressive prosecutors, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued instructions on how to selectively enforce immigration law to reduce deportations.

Prosecutorial discretion is an indispensable feature of any functioning legal system. The exercise of prosecutorial discretion, where appropriate, can preserve limited government resources, achieve just and fair outcomes in individual cases, and advance the department's mission of administering and enforcing the immigration laws of the United States in a smart and sensible way that promotes public confidence, chief ICE attorney John Trasvina wrote in a memo dated May 27, the existence of which was reported on Friday by BuzzFeed.

Trasvina reportedly instructed his prosecutors to focus on the Biden administration priorities public safety and national security threats and said they should consider the immigrants circumstances and mitigating factors such family ties to the US, contributions to the community, health, age, pregnancy and if they were pursuing an education.

In deciding whether to drop or dismiss cases, prosecutors should also consider whether the immigrant is a member of the military or related to someone who is, whether they will likely be granted status, and humanitarian factors such as being victims of domestic violence and serious crimes, having a physical or mental illness, or being a caregiver to someone who does.

Proceedings against migrants considered significant assets to law enforcement and those helping civil rights investigations should also be reconsidered.

Trasvina argued that this selective enforcement will conserve finite government resources.

There are currently 1.3 million cases in the backlogged US immigration court system, one Homeland Security official told BuzzFeed on condition of anonymity, adding that deciding when and how to enforce the law is one way certainly to show fidelity to the law but also to build faith that the laws are being applied in a way thats consistent with our values.

The Trasvina memo is part of the rollback of ICE and DHS policies enacted under the Trump administration and a restoration of practices from the presidency of Barack Obama, which encouraged prosecutors to exercise discretion when deporting illegal aliens who were not serious criminals or national security threats. The Biden administration has gone even further, however, limiting the ability of ICE agents to arrest offenders at courthouses and erasing the legal term illegal alien from official communications.

Selective enforcement has become a widespread tactic in Democrat-run cities across the US, with local prosecutors usually elected with financial aid from megadonor George Soros choosing not to press charges against certain categories of offenders, while throwing the book at others, often based on politics.

The new instructions may also be a way for ICE to work around a court injunction against Bidens plan to stop all deportations, blocked by states like Texas earlier this year. If there are no prosecutions, there can be no deportations either.

Among the executive orders signed on Joe Bidens very first day in office was an instruction to ICE to change its enforcement of immigration laws in line with our values and priorities.

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Selective enforcement: Bidens ICE told they can drop cases against illegal migrants amid 1.3 MILLION backlog - RT

A lorry driver trying to ferry 15 illegal immigrants out of the UK into France has been jailed.

Police were alerted to Hakan Zengin, 36, after passers-by saw him standing at the back of the lorry as people climbed in.

He was pulled over by police on the M25 near Surrey in March this year.

The National Crime Agency said migrants were found sitting on pallets laid out in the back of the lorry and included Moroccan, Algerian and Pakistani nationals.

Kingston Crown Court heard they paid Turkish-national Zengin 100 to be taken out of the country as they "no longer wanted to be here".

Zengin admitted one count of assisting unlawful immigration on May 7.

Prosecutor Robert Harding said: "On March 21, the defendant was driving a lorry registered in Turkey. A number of individuals were seen approaching the lorry and a number of persons seen climbing into the rear.

"The defendant was outside of the lorry at the rear when those persons climbed in. Police were subsequently alerted and stopped the vehicle on the M25 where it joins the A3.

"A number of illegal immigrants were found in the lorry, 15 in total."

Judge John Lodge said: "There were 15 people - they all explained how they had come to be in the UK and they all explained that they didn't want to stay here any longer."

The prosecutor added: "The lorry was searched and mobile phones, a laptop and some paperwork were found. It would appear that the lorry was on its way out of the country."

It was said Zengin had worked for an international transport company based in Turkey for around a year before the incident.

Osman Osman, defending, said Zengin was "genuinely remorseful" and had "given in to temptation" after hearing he could make money from taking migrants out of the UK.

He said: "He was indebted to a significant sum in Turkey. He has a young family - a son of 11 years of age and a daughter of six years of age.

"He is estranged from his wife and cares for the children when he can as well as his own family and over time became significantly indebted.

"It was explained to him by a friend that he could earn some easy money if he ever wished by phoning a number with a view to picking up individuals to take across the channel.

"On previous occasions he resisted the temptation but temptation got the better of him."

He told the court Zengin made a call and was asked to pick up the immigrants on his way back from Ireland to France.

The judge heard the lorry has a "plastic curtain side" and a door into the back of the lorry was left unlocked so that those inside could get out if they needed to."

Mr Osman said: "Mr Zengin appreciates there have been some tragic events reported in the newspapers and come through the courts.

"Thankfully the 15 that boarded the lorry were not in any danger of suffocation. If it was required they could leave the lorry. It would appear the door of the lorry was unlocked.

"He was not involved in planning, his only involvement was to collect individuals.

He added Zengin may face legal action in Turkey and from his former employer, as the lorry spent months in police custody.

Judge Lodge said: "I accept that you were not the organiser, I accept that your financial gain was limited."

He jailed Zengin for two years and six months, and said he would be deported after serving half of the sentence in the UK.

NCA branch operations manager Chris Hill said:

People smuggling crime groups need corrupt HGV drivers like Zengin to operate. They think nothing of packing people into lorry trailers, or putting them into other extremely dangerous situations.

While his motivation for doing this may have been money, Zengin has found out the hard way that working with these crime groups does not pay, and he faces a life-changing jail sentence far away from home.

I hope this conviction and sentencing sends out a message to others who would consider getting involved. It simply isnt worth it.

Working with our partners in the UK and overseas we are determined to do all we can to disrupt people smugglers and put corrupt drivers like Zengin behind bars.

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Lorry driver charged illegal immigrants 'who no longer wanted to be in UK' 100 to leave - The Mirror

Uncle Joes money

Just got a letter today from Uncle Joe, the president, telling me in six different I dids how he was taking care of me with his stash of cash up there in D.C. He also said he was helping to reopen schools here, but last I looked we have been open for almost a year. And he is on the path to vaccinate the nation. Really?

If all the promises were not clear enough, he wrote it in Spanish on the back. Everybody wishes they had a rich uncle; now we do, but the money was ours anyway. Thanks, Joe!

Jerry Rodeheaver, Ocala

I read with interest the May 23 article regarding unemployment benefits in relation to business owners struggling to bring employees back to work. The central issue from business owners seems to be the added $300 a week in unemployment benefits provided by the federal government due to the pandemic.

Florida unemployment benefits are $275 a week or $14,300 annually. Is there anyone out there who can provide housing, an automobile, gasoline, food, clothing and health insurance on $14,300 a year?

The federal government recognized this issue and added money to unemployment benefits so individuals and families would not have to go homeless, could buy food and survive until they were able to work again.

If we add the current federal allocation to unemployment with the existing Florida unemployment benefits, we arrive at a total of $575 a week or $29,300 annually. The issue of supply and demand with people able to work and seeking work are based on providing a wage sufficient to live. The Biden administration has it right, recommending increasing the minimum wage to a level where citizens can actually live and survive. The financial offset to our country is a lesser amount spent on social services and unemployment benefits.

The previous administration bashed immigrants and was intent on restricting immigration to our great country. Well, who do you think was primarily working on poverty wages and taking on low-paying jobs?

The poor and the oppressed generally do not have a voice to speak up for themselves. This is where Americans, living comfortably, need to speak up for them.

So, offering wages that potential employees can live on and survive will solve the problem of supply and demand in regard to worker shortages.

John Schaefer, Ocala

Don't worry, be happy.What a great country.Keep giving stimulus dollars so people can stay home rather than going to a job.Give free college for everyone.Give everyone free health care.Give everyone free education.

Give everyone free housing like illegal immigrants are getting in hotels across the country.Forgive everyone who has student loans.Give everyone a free cell phone and service.

No one earning under $400,000 will ever pay one cent of income taxes.Raise minimum wages to $20 an hour.

It is safe for children to go to school but the teachers unions say no, keep the schools closed and stay home to continue to get paid for nothing and now they want a pay raise.Keep expanding the number of government jobs and controls over the people.

The problem is as follows: If you give something away for free you will never, ever be able to satisfy the demand. When you run out of OPM (other people's money), what will you do?

We just passed another $28 trillion deficit warning that we taxpayers are going broke to pay for all the good stuff.Don't worry, be happy.

William Francis, Summerfield

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Today's letters: Readers comment on President Biden, unemployment benefits and the economy - Ocala

Last week, I noted that both major political parties face significant challenges stemming from tensions between their traditional and populist wings.

In that column, I cited polling data noting that 31% of voters are looking for a candidate promoting Trump-like policies; 21% wanted a Sanders-like policy approach; 21% would like to see traditional Democratic policies; and 17% were in the traditional Republican camp.

The response from many on the political left was to mock the idea that former President Trump had any policies. This attitude, shared by many on the political left, may be the biggest long-term threat to the Democratic party. Its always a mistake to underestimate your opponents.

The reality is that the desire for Trump-like policies existed long before Donald Trump gave voice to them. The best example of this may be the issue of immigration. Seventy-two percent (72%) of voters believe that illegal immigration is bad for America. Polling this past weekend found that view is shared by 90% of Republicans, 66% of Independents, and 57% of Democrats.

Voters wanted somebody to do something about the problem and they found only one candidate who sounded serious about border security. It wasnt necessarily that voters wanted a wall built or a specific policy approach. But they wanted somebody to figure out a way to secure the border.

The issue isnt going away just because Donald Trump is out of office. In fact, it has already become a major problem for the Biden Administration. Just 34% of voters give President Biden good or excellent marks for handling the situation at the southern border.

Many in Washington dismiss the immigration issue as a minor irritant. The Biden Administration refuses to even call it a crisis. But for voters its something far more serious. This past weekend, my polling found that 60% believe the growing number of people that have been entering the United States illegally is an invasion of the United States. Earlier polling found that 58% believe the drug cartels have more control of the Southern border than the U.S. government.

Opponents of border security try to blur the distinction between legal and illegal immigration. They talk as if opposition to illegal immigration is the same as opposition to all immigration. But thats not the way voters see it. Just 11% of voters believe legal immigration is bad for the country.

A solid majority of voters (61%) believe that legal immigration is good for the U.S. and illegal immigration is bad for the nation. Thats a view quite consistent with our national heritage. We are both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.

While immigration is perhaps the premier example of how Trump-like policies differ from other approaches, it is part of a larger theme. Voters want their leaders to stand up for our nation and its people. But too often elected politicians are often seen to be putting the concerns of other nations first.

For example, 66% of voters believe its likely that the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan, China laboratory. In fact, voters were suspicious from the very beginning. Even in the first month of the outbreak, more than one-out-of-four voters believed the Chinese had intentionally leaked the virus. Despite these voter concerns, the loudest voices in official Washington defended the Chinese and dismissed its critics. Social media platforms even blocked discussion of the view held by a majority of American voters.

The point is that there really are Trump-like policies. You dont have to agree with them to recognize that many have strong support among American voters. If Democrats dont recognize this reality and find appropriate ways to address the underlying concerns, they will soon turn control of the government over to the GOP.

Scott Rasmussen is an American political analyst and digital media entrepreneur. He is the author of The Sun is Still Rising: Politics Has Failed But America Will Not.

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Scott Rasmussen: Why mocking Trumps policies will hurt the Democrats - Deseret News