U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to Central America on Monday in what is his first oversees trip since being confirmed as the top U.S. diplomat.
Rubio, who was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate in a 99-0 vote, is slated to make stops in Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.
Two major topics expected to be discussed between him and other diplomatic leaders include the economy and ways to curb illegal immigration from Central America to the U.S.
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The trip comes after President Donald Trump's acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued two new directives implementing a crackdown on undocumented people who are illegally in the country.
The first rescinds prior guidelines that limited Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection operations in "sensitive areas" such as schools and churches.
The second directive rolls back the broader use of the humanitarian parole program.
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Huffman criticized the Biden administration’s approach, claiming it indiscriminately allowed 1.5 million migrants to enter the country.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country," Huffman said in a statement. "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest."
