According to DHS’s U.S.  Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of UAC from any  country apprehended at the border climbed from nearly 28,000 in fiscal  year 2012 to more than 42,000 in fiscal year 2013, and to more than  73,000 in fiscal year 2014. In addition to the problems within these countries, children who migrate  illegally can encounter other risks during the journey to the United States. A number of U.S. agencies provide assistance to the three countries. The administration has taken several recent actions related to these three  countries. Agencies Seek to Address Causes of UAC Migration with Recently Developed and Long-standing Efforts

Agency officials noted that the rapid increase in UAC migration is due to  several emergent factors, including the proliferation of human smugglers,  or coyotes. Coyotes have also intentionally spread rumors and  misinformation about U.S. immigration policy. As of June 2015, State officials in Washington D.C. reported that the  program had received 1,385 applications. Agencies’ Long-standing Efforts Have Sought to Address Persistent Conditions Identified as Contributors to Migration

USAID, State, IAF, and MCC programs have long sought to address what  officials have identified as underlying causes of migration, including  persistent development challenges such as violence, poverty, and lack of  educational opportunities. However, officials also indicated that they have made some  adjustments and plan to locate more programs in communities with high  levels of UAC migration. Most Agencies Have Some Evaluation Processes in Place, but Weaknesses Exist in Performance Measurement of Some Antismuggling Programs

Most agencies have established evaluation processes to measure  progress of programs identified as addressing causes of UAC migration. DHS Has Not Established Performance Targets against Which to Assess Progress of Transnational Criminal Investigative Units

DHS/ICE has established performance indicators for its TCIUs, but has  not established performance targets, making it difficult to track progress  of these units’ efforts to combat UAC smuggling and other priorities. DHS and State Have Not Consistently Evaluated Public Information Campaigns

DHS has not evaluated all of its public information campaigns intended to  reduce migration. Collecting this sort of  performance information on media campaigns can provide value in  informing future campaign efforts, particularly given DHS’s desire to  launch a new campaign early next year. State concurred  with the one recommendation directed to it, and DHS concurred with both  recommendations. Specifically, State concurred with our recommendation  that DHS and State integrate evaluation into their planning for, and  implementation of, future public information campaigns intended to  dissuade migration. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

In this report, we reviewed (1) U.S. assistance in El Salvador, Guatemala,  and Honduras addressing agency-identified causes of unaccompanied  alien child (UAC) migration, (2) how agencies have determined where to  locate these assistance efforts, and (3) the extent to which agencies have  developed processes to assess the effectiveness of programs seeking to  address UAC migration. We also discussed these DHS data with U.S. agency officials in  Washington and Central America. To address our third objective, on the extent to which agencies have  developed performance indicators to assess the effectiveness of efforts  responsive to UAC migration, we reviewed agency documents on  programs agencies identified as responsive to the rapid increase in UAC  migration, including agency evaluation policies and guides, country  strategy and planning documents for each country, monitoring and  evaluation plans, standard operating procedures, program evaluations,  and quarterly and other progress reports. Appendix II: Agency Funding to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras Overall and for Programs Addressing Child Migration

Agencies we reviewed, including the U.S. Agency for International  Development (USAID), the Departments of State (State) and Homeland  Security ( DHS), and the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), identified  overall funding allocated for programs in El Salvador, Guatemala, and  Honduras for fiscal years 2012 through 2014 (see table 2).
Why GAO Did This Study

According to DHS, the number of UAC apprehended at the U.S.-Mexican border climbed from nearly 28,000 in fiscal year 2012 to more than 73,000 in fiscal year 2014, with nearly three-fourths of those apprehended nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Children from these three countries face a host of challenges, such as extreme violence and persistent poverty. Those who migrate can encounter even more dangers, such as robbery and abuse.
GAO was asked to review issues related to UAC migration. In February 2015, GAO reported on U.S. assistance to Central America addressing the rapid increase in UAC migration. This report reviews (1) U.S. assistance in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras addressing agency-identified causes of UAC migration; (2) how agencies have determined where to locate these assistance efforts; and (3) the extent to which agencies have developed processes to assess the effectiveness of programs seeking to address UAC migration. GAO reviewed agency documents and interviewed officials in Washington, D.C., and in Central America.

What GAO Found

U.S. agencies have sought to address causes of unaccompanied alien child (UAC) migration through recent programs, such as information campaigns to deter migration, developed in response to the migration increase and other long-standing efforts. The recent migration increase was likely triggered, according to U.S. officials, by several emergent factors such as the increased presence and sophistication of human smugglers (known as coyotes) and confusion over U.S. immigration policy. Officials also noted that certain persistent conditions such as violence and poverty have worsened in certain countries. In addition to long-standing efforts, such as U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) antipoverty programs, agencies have taken new actions. For example, Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-led investigative units have increasingly sought to disrupt human smuggling operations.
U.S. agencies have located programs based on various factors, including long-term priorities such as targeting high-poverty and -crime areas, but have adjusted to locate more programs in high-migration communities. For example, Department of State (State) officials in Guatemala said they moved programs enhancing police anticrime capabilities into such communities, and USAID officials in El Salvador said they expanded to UAC-migration-affected locations.
Most agencies have developed processes to assess the effectiveness of programs seeking to address UAC migration, but weaknesses exist in these processes for some antismuggling programs. For example, DHS has established performance measures, such as arrests, for units combating UAC smuggling, but has not established numeric or other types of targets for these measures, which would enable DHS to measure the units' progress. In addition, DHS and State have not always evaluated information campaigns intended to combat coyote misinformation. DHS launched its 2013 campaign in April, but launched its 2014 campaign in late June after migration levels peaked. Neither agency evaluated its 2014 campaign. Collecting performance information on media campaigns can have value in informing future campaign efforts to reduce child migration.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that DHS and State take steps to integrate evaluations into their planning for, and implementation of, future information campaigns intended to deter migration. GAO also recommends that DHS establish performance targets for its investigative units. DHS concurred with both recommendations, and State concurred with the one recommendation directed to it.