American asylum pact with Honduras seals 'Northern Triangle'

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration says it has a deal that paves the way to send many asylum-seekers to Honduras, one of the world’s most violent countries, to seek protection there.

The agreement largely mirrors ones that the U.S. has reached recently with two other Central American countries, Guatemala and El Salvador. It would effectively create a blockade to force any asylum-seeker who travels through the region’s “Northern Triangle” to be denied entry to the United States.

The agreement is to be signed by the U.S. and Honduras this week. It hasn’t been released publicly and details remain unclear.

A senior official at the Homeland Security Department official described broad outlines during a conference call with reporters.