This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN SALVADOR 000052 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2016 
TAGS: ES MX PGOV PREL IMMIGRATION
SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR:  GOES VIEWS REGARDING UPCOMING MEXICO 
MEETING ON U.S. IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION 
 
Classified By: Ambassador H. Douglas Barclay, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C)  SUMMARY:  The Ambassador has on several recent 
occasions discussed with Salvadoran Foreign Minister 
Francisco Lainez a planned January 9 meeting on U.S. 
immigration policy to be held in Mexico City; it will likely 
include foreign ministers of Mexico, Central America, and the 
Dominican Republic.  Foreign Minister Lainez has stressed the 
importance of proactive U.S. engagement on such matters, and 
appears ready to offer El Salvador's influence and leadership 
in forestalling criticism of the U.S., and to moderate debate 
at this and similar future meetings.  In his public 
pronouncements, President Saca has been circumspect in his 
reaction to recent proposed changes in U.S. immigration 
policy, and has called for multilateral dialogue and 
cooperation to replace heated rhetoric.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2 (C)  Lainez phoned the Ambassador January 2 and asked for a 
meeting the following day.  During the hour-long January 3 
meeting, the Foreign Minister indicated that he expected the 
foreign ministers of Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican 
Republic would join himself and Mexican Foreign Minister 
Derbez at the January 9 meeting; he expressed his concern 
that the meeting might adopt "an aggressive stance" against 
the United States.  Lainez opined that it would be a mistake 
if Derbez were to chair any such regional meetings in the 
future relating to immigration issues, but in response to 
repeated questions regarding who might provide more moderate 
leadership, he was unable to provide any definite answer, and 
off-handedly suggested Costa Rica as a possibility.  (Note: 
At present, it appears that Costa Rica will not attend the 
January 9 meeting in Mexico.  End note.)  He added that 
whoever leads the group should have "the proper tools"--i.e., 
direct high-level access in the State Department and 
elsewhere within the USG. 
 
¶3. (C)  The Foreign Minister suggested that the USG should 
seek dialogue with the governments of Mexico, Central 
America, and the Dominican Republic on immigration issues and 
try to find common ground, and that regional meetings on 
immigration, properly handled, could reprrsent a foreign 
policy opportunity for the U.S. rather than a 
public-relations threat.  Lainez again stressed the 
importance of multilateral dialogue to any satisfactory 
solution, and suggested that a meeting between U.S. officials 
and their Mexican, Central American, and Dominican Republic 
counterparts would be very helpful.  He believes that the 
proposed criminalization of illegal immigration will be a 
particular sore point for Mexico and others, and he thinks 
that the January 9 meeting may see proposals to hire public 
relations firms and/or lobbyists to oppose such legislation. 
 
¶4. (C)  In a January 4 conversation, Foreign Minister Lainez 
outlined to the Ambassador his view that, given the region's 
geographic proximity to the United States and the rise of 
leftist populism in Latin America, greater multilateral 
accord on issues such as immigration deserved the USG's 
highest-priority attention.  He also related that illegal 
immigration should be seen in the light of a "supply and 
demand" problem, and that as long as job opportunities 
existed in the U.S. for Salvadorans and other illegal aliens, 
they would find some way to reach the U.S. 
 
¶5. (C)  Lainez phoned the Ambassador January 5 prior to a 
widely-publicized press conference of President Saca, and 
outlined that, in response to recent criticism by Farabundo 
Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) legislators of recent 
toughening of U.S. lawmakers' stance on illegal immigration, 
the President would acknowledge the United States' right to 
control its borders, and condemn the FMLN's strident 
criticism.  The President did so during his remarks, saying 
that although he felt that U.S. construction of a wall would 
fall short of addressing the complexities of illegal 
immigration, he "wasn't going to cry" about it.  He 
underscored the warm friendship between El Salvador and the 
U.S., and expressed hope that Temporary Protected Status 
(TPS), which benefits some 250,000 Salvadorans, would be 
extended again.  On January 6, Lainez informed the Ambassador 
that FMLN deputies had tried to railroad through a 
Legislative Assembly resolution condemning proposed 
tightening in U.S. immigration policy, but that a call from 
President Saca to Legislative Assembly President Ciro Cruz 
Zepeda had headed off the attempt. 
 
¶6. (C)  COMMENT:  Lainez is offering to serve in a leadership 
role, directing highly-contentious discussion on sensitive 
immigration issues toward more constructive channels, and 
away from harsh criticism of the U.S.  Lainez and the Saca 
administration clearly support the United States' right to 
control its borders.  An opportunity exists for the 
Department to avail itself of El Salvador's sympathetic 
position and get its message to other governments in the 
region.  END COMMENT. 
Barclay