SAN YSIDRO, Calif. (KGTV) -- The new Mexican president is hoping a new deal with three Central American leaders will stop or slow the flow of migrants seeking asylum in the United States.
Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador signed the new deal within hours of taking office. The deal with Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, promises to create a fund that would fight poverty, create jobs and make sure migrants feel safe in their home countries. It will also create a re-integration program for those traveling with the caravan who wish to go back.
University of San Diego professor, Ev Meade, says this deal looks good on paper but no one will know for sure until more specifics are released.
Professor Meade has been traveling to Tijuana to meet and speak with the migrants. He says most leave because of instability.
"What I hear from a lot of people is indirect effects of violence, so it's someone that might say I can't afford to feed my family but when you start asking them questions about what they do, the business that they worked for, why they were laid off, the violence is always there. It might be one degree, two degrees, three degrees of separation but the violence is always there," says Meade.
It is still unclear how much funding will go towards those Central American countries but Meade says it will be years before we see the effects of the deal.
"This kind of progress, when you talk about big structural issues, doesn't happen in a month, or three months or a year, I mean, it takes time," says Meade.
