Haverhill Rep. Andy X. Vargas is one of two state lawmakers heading to Central America Sunday to learn firsthand about what’s driving migration from the area and contributing to the immigration and humanitarian crisis at the U.S. border with Mexico.
Vargas and Rep. Nika Elugardo of Boston plan to join community leaders, legal experts and journalists to observe conditions in Honduras and El Salvador, according to Patricia Montes of Centro Presente.
“We believe that the crisis is beyond the border,” Montes said Thursday, citing extreme poverty, violence and corruption in the two countries. The one-week trip is being funded by Alianza Americas, with support from Centro Presente and Lawyers for Civil Rights.