President Barack Obama on Friday met with presidents of Central American countries to urge cooperation in combating the influx of minors illegally entering the U.S. through the southern border.
“All of us recognize we have a shared responsibility to address this problem,” Obama told reporters after a meeting with leaders of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
The president thanked the Central American leaders for taking quick action and said the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border has been cut in half since June.
Obama also called on Congress to approve his stalled request for funding to deal with the crisis.
"It is my hope that Speaker Boehner and House Republicans will not leave town for the month of August for their vacations without doing something to help solve this problem," he said.
IN-DEPTH
- What U.S., Central America Have to Tackle to Stem Border Crisis
- House GOP Hopeful of Passing Slimmed Down Border Bill
- Could Migrant Children Get Refugee Status? 6 Things to Know
-- Andrew Rafferty
