These studies indicate that many Central American children who in the  past may have made it to the U.S. border and been counted in U.S.  apprehension statistics, have this year been apprehended in Mexico. A number of U.S. agencies provide assistance to the three  countries. Agencies Seek to Address UAC Migration with Recently Developed and Long-standing Efforts

		Agency-Identified Causes of Increase in UAC Migration

As we reported in July 2015, according to agency officials a variety of  factors likely caused the rapid increase in UAC migration of recent years,  including the increased presence of coyotes, perceptions concerning U.S.  immigration law, recent improvements in the U.S. economy, the increased  use of social media, and the worsening of pervasive problems. Perceptions of U.S. immigration policy. Agency Efforts Seeking to Address UAC Migration

In our July 2015 report, we found that among the various agency actions  taken in response to UAC migration, several sought to directly combat  coyotes, which agency officials identified as a key emergent factor  causing migration. For example,  according to DHS officials, in response to the rapid increase in UAC  migration in 2014, DHS shifted the investigative priorities of its  Transnational Criminal Investigative Units (TCIU)—which include host  government police, customs officers, and prosecutors, among others—to  target child-smuggling operations in all three countries. Public information campaigns to deter migration. We also found that DHS  and State had carried out several public information campaigns between  2013 and 2015 intended to dissuade citizens of El Salvador, Guatemala,  and Honduras from migrating to the United States. According to DHS, the campaign,  which was developed with the Department of State and was approved by  the White House, is intended to deter individuals from Mexico, El  Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras from entering the United States  illegally by increasing awareness of U.S. immigration policies and  enhanced border security efforts, as well as the dangers posed by  smugglers. We also reported that 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. Agencies Aligned Program Locations with Long-Term Strategic Objectives and Made Some Adjustments to Reach More Communities Affected by UAC Migration

Our July 2015 report found that agencies had generally located programs  in alignment with long-term objectives for El Salvador, Guatemala, and  Honduras, such as addressing areas of high poverty and violence. USAID’s  Country Development Cooperation Strategy documents, for example,  outline development objectives for each country that focus on specific  locations. Most Agencies Had Some Evaluation Processes in Place, but Weaknesses Existed in Performance Measurement of Some Antismuggling Programs

As we reported in July 2015, most agencies we reviewed had established  processes to measure and evaluate programs agencies identified as  addressing underlying causes of migration. First, DHS had established performance indicators for its  TCIUs, but had not established performance targets, making it difficult to  track progress of these units’ efforts to combat UAC smuggling and other  priorities. However, DHS had not set targets for these performance measures. Second, we found that DHS and State had not consistently evaluated  their information campaigns intended to combat the misinformation  promoted by smuggling organizations and reduce migration, making it  difficult to know the effectiveness of these efforts. DHS evaluated its 2013  campaign but did not evaluate its 2014 campaign. Moreover, DHS launched this campaign  at the end of June 2014, by which point migration levels had already  peaked, reaching record levels, as shown in figure 3. In our July 2015 report, we recommended  that State and DHS integrate evaluation into their planning for, and  implementation of, future public information campaigns intended to  dissuade migration.
Why GAO Did This Study

Since 2012 there has been a rapid increase in the number of apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexican border of UAC from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Current data indicate the rate of UAC migration from Central America in 2015 is lower than the record levels of 2014, though apprehensions increased in August 2015. Children from these three countries face a host of challenges, such as extreme violence and persistent poverty.
This testimony summarizes the findings from GAO's July 2015 report, which reviewed (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. This testimony also provides updated information on several topics covered in the report. GAO reviewed agency documents and interviewed officials in Washington, D.C., and in Central America for the report.

What GAO Found

GAO reported in July 2015 that U.S. agencies had 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 increase in migration since 2012 was likely triggered, according to U.S. officials, by several factors such as the increased presence and sophistication of child 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 had taken new actions. For example, Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-led investigative units had increasingly sought to disrupt human smuggling operations.
GAO found that U.S. agencies located programs based on various factors, including long-term priorities such as targeting high-poverty and -crime areas, but 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.
GAO found that most agencies had developed processes to assess the effectiveness of programs seeking to address UAC migration, but weaknesses existed in these processes for some antismuggling programs. For example, DHS had established performance measures, such as arrests, for units combating UAC smuggling, but had 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 had 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. DHS has reported that it plans to evaluate its ongoing campaign before the end of this year.

What GAO Recommends

GAO's July 2015 report included recommendations that DHS and State integrate evaluations into their information campaigns intended to deter migration, and that DHS establish performance targets for its investigative units. DHS concurred with both recommendations, and said that it plans to evaluate its most recent campaign. State also concurred with the recommendation directed to it.