Washington ( CNN ) -- Central American leaders signaled to President Barack Obama they 're working on a `` comprehensive plan '' to address the underlying reasons for the surge of immigrant youth from their countries who are entering the United States illegally . The presidents of El Salvador , Honduras and Guatemala met with Obama at the White House on Friday as Washington struggles to find a solution to what many consider a humanitarian crisis . The influx this year of tens of thousands of child immigrants , many unaccompanied , has become a partisan flashpoint on the already divisive issue of reforming a U.S. immigration system that all sides agree is broken . Obama and Presidents Otto Perez Molina of Guatemala , Juan Orlando Hernandez of Honduras , and Salvador Sanchez Ceren of El Salvador issued a statement that reiterated `` our commitment to prevent families and children from undertaking this dangerous journey and to work together to promote safe , legal , and orderly migration . '' They `` all agreed that an effective solution requires a comprehensive and joint effort '' from those countries , other nations in the region and the United States , they said . Specifically , the Central American presidents `` indicated '' to Obama that they were working on a plan to address the root causes of why people are leaving their countries . Underlying causes . Part of that , all at the meeting agreed , must address strategies for reducing crime and promoting greater social and economic opportunity . Priorities include pursuing criminal enterprises `` that are exploiting this uniquely vulnerable population '' and the need to discourage use of `` smuggling networks '' that place immigrants at `` high risk of violent crime and sexual abuse . '' Obama and the others also pledged to redouble efforts to counter misinformation about U.S. deportation policy around young immigrants that some say is fueling the surge , and promised to further efforts to `` humanely repatriate migrants , consistent with due process . '' Most ca n't stay . Obama told the Central American leaders that most of the child migrants crossing the border illegally now wo n't be permitted to stay . Some have been deported already , while most are being allowed to stay temporarily while their immigration status is sorted out . Also being discussed within the Obama administration has been a pilot program that would let the United States assess asylum claims in those countries in order to reduce the number of illegal immigrants . But Obama sought to play down that option as an answer . `` There may be some narrow circumstances in which there is humanitarian or refugee status that a family might be eligible for . If that 's the case it would be better for them to apply in country rather than take a very dangerous journey all the way up to Texas to make those same claims , '' Obama said . But he added that potential applicants would still have to meet the same criteria to qualify . `` Under U.S. law , we admit a certain number of refugees from all over the world based on some fairly narrow criteria and typically refugee status is not just based on economic need or because a family lives in a bad neighborhood or in poverty it 's typically defined fairly narrowly , '' he said . The White House previously called the idea premature . But spokesman Josh Earnest said before Friday 's meeting that it could be extended to other countries , if successful . Struggling for a solution . The administration and Congress have struggled in recent weeks to come to a consensus on how to address the surge that has overwhelmed border and immigration services . Obama has asked Congress for $ 3.7 billion in emergency funds for border efforts , while Republicans and some Democrats in Congress are resisting that proposal , and offering alternatives that would spend less and change immigration policy to deport kids faster . Either way , Obama and others are concerned that lawmakers will leave at the end of next week for their August recess without approving a fix . House Republicans are expected to vote on a scaled-down border bill next week . It would provide less than $ 1 billion to address the crisis and would modify a 2008 law to make it easier to deport children from Central America who enter the United States illegally . Currently , kids who enter the country illegally from Central America can stay until they receive an immigration hearing . That process can take months or years . The proposal to alter that law all but ensures the bill will not come to a vote in the Senate , where Democrats are opposed to tagging that change to a funding bill of its own for the border crisis . Democrats worry that accelerating the process will result in many falling through the cracks and being sent back to situations characterized by many as violent situations in their countries . Guard troops to border . The administration also is considering sending National Guard troops to the border , according to a White House official , just days after Texas Gov . Rick Perry said he would do just that in the Rio Grande Valley area . Immigrants or refugees ? The Pentagon and the Department of Health and Human Services sent a team this week to assess Border Patrol efforts in the Rio Grande Valley . The number of unaccompanied minors seeping through that area has slowed dramatically since last month . Key questions about Rick Perry 's border plan . CNN 's Dana Bash , Jim Acosta , Halimah Abdullah , Kevin Liptak and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .
NEW : Central American leaders meet with Obama on youth migrant surge . The White House says the meeting will focus on "ways to strengthen our partnership in addressing this challenge." They say they 're working on a plan to address underlying cause of migration . The Obama administration is buoyed by slight slowing of migrant kids at the border . Congress working on scaled-back plan , but House and Senate divided on approach .