The United States government's deportation on Monday of a group of Honduran women and children should be seen by Central America as a message that President Barack Obama is serious when he says illegal migrants will be sent home, the White House said, according to The Associated Press.
The charter flight from New Mexico to San Pedro Sula, the city with the highest murder rate in the world, transported 17 Honduran women, as well as 12 girls and nine boys aged between 18 months and 15 years, the AP reported.
At the same time Republicans are working to bring down President Barack Obama's $3.7 billion emergency spending request for the border, hoping to act within weeks on a smaller spending bill along with a package of policy changes, according to the AP.
The developments come as lawmakers of both parties say Congress must act swiftly to deal with tens of thousands of unaccompanied youths from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala arriving at the border, according to the AP.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the return of the Hondurans should be a clear signal to those thinking about crossing the border that "they're entitled to due process but they will not be welcome to this country with open arms," according to the AP.
The return of the Hondurans was the most high-profile example of Obama's struggle to gain control of a chaotic border crisis that is overwhelming immigration resources and leading to scattered protests from people angry at the government for housing some border crossers in communities around the country, the AP reported.
Organizations working with illegal migrants and Honduran youths said the U.S. flight was largely symbolic and would have little impact on Honduran children looking to escape a country racked by gang violence and the world's highest murder rate, according to the AP.
