How to End Hunger

The push factors of migration and why immigrants face poverty in the U.S.

People who make the decision to leave home and come to the United States generally have few other options. Central America’s “Northern Triangle” countries—Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras—are among the poorest in the world, with very high levels of hunger and malnutrition. Nearly half of Guatemala’s children are chronically malnourished, along with nearly 20 percent of children in Honduras and El Salvador.

Once here, Central American immigrants generally want to work and contribute, but may become isolated by a combination of factors, such as poverty, limited English proficiency, and discrimination. In fact, undocumented immigrants suffer disproportionately from food insecurity. This is true even though they earn more money here than in their home countries.

No group of immigrants is more harmed by hunger and poverty than those without documentation. Lack of legal status contributes to their economic insecurity and exploitation. It also means they have limited access to the social safety net in the United States.

Poverty persists among undocumented immigrants even though they participate in the workforce at higher rates than either citizens or documented immigrants. Our economy depends upon the hard work of undocumented immigrants but does not adequately compensate them.