U.S. and El Salvador sign joint immigration deal

The Trump administration on Friday signed a joint deal on immigration with El Salvador.

Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco told the press alongside acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan that the deal would help provide security and economic opportunity to El Salvador.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) ALEXANDRA HILL TINOCO, EL SALVADOR FOREIGN MINISTER, SAYING:

"We are signing, or we've signed this document today in order to work together in different areas, but the main issue is to protect our people who are forced to flee the country. We are talking about giving them secure alternatives and finding an increasing legal alternatives to safe migration. This is what this general memorandum of agreement contains."

The deal is the latest move by McAleenan to push for bilateral immigration deals with the so-called Northern Triangle countries of Central America.

Those countries include Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador and are where most immigrants arriving at the U.S. southern border come from.