Michael Stott – Latin American Editor, Financial Time
Diego Beltrand – Regional Director for North & Central America and the Caribbean, International Organization for Migration (IOM)
T.H. Debbie Wasserman Shultz – Representative, US House of Representatives (FL-25)
Tatiana Torres – Associate Partner, Dentons Global Advisors; Board Member, Concordia
T.H Carlos Vecchio – Former Ambassador to the United States, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (2019-2023)
Margaret Spears – Deputy Assistant Administrator, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Sara Aviel – President & CEO, Inter-American Foundation
Jose Bared – Director, The Bared Family Foundation
Nicholas Logothetis – Co-Founder & Chairman of the Board, Concordia
T.H. Eric Adams – Mayor, City of New York
Dr. Alejandro Portes – Research and Law Professor, University of Miami
Johnathan Duarte – Managing Director and Head of Latin America & Caribbean Advisory, CrossBoundary
“The enormous wave of migration we’re seeing in the hemisphere reflects state failure on a scale that we have not seen before.”
“Integration into communities is a key part in the effort to address irregular migration.”
“Mass migration is a three-legged stool: there is a dramatic rise in authoritarianism, a need for immigration reform, and a need for resources.”
“You don’t have to be a democrat or a republican to understand humanity, and what we are dealing with as a country.”
“The main problem is the dictatorship. If we find a political transition in Venezuela, it will stop migration.”
“Focusing on the importance of the expansion of lawful labor pathways to the U.S. and taking advantage of temporary work visas can fill labor needs.”
“We’ve seen that investing at the local level has tremendous benefits. It helps support social and economic integration.”
“We need legislation, we need work permits, and the private industry is ready.”
“We extended TPS [Temporary Protected Status] status for Venezuelans, and we need to extend it for everyone. If you are paroled into the country, you should be paroled into the pursuit of the American dream.”
“Aside from not having a work permit, Venezuelans have no social networks because there is not a big Venezuelan economic enclave in New York.”
“If the youth of El Salvador are able to see that they can get that tech job locally, there are less chances that they want to migrate locally to the U.S.”
“I try to tell people, try to talk to someone who has gone through a process of trying to come to this country. It is really important to speak to the immigrants in your life, to this country, and they will tell you how important this country is to them, and how difficult it was to get here.”