D.C. from June 19--21. 2007. The heads of states of the 15 nations that comprise the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be in Washington meeting with the Administration. as well as members of Congress. During their meetings in Washington. they wish to discuss U.S.-Caribbean trade relations. cooperation in education and security initiatives. immigration. disaster preparedness and mitigation. and other issues arising from our important relationships with our Southern neighbors. A Summit of this magnitude and with the full leadership of CARICOM represents the first of its kind under the Bush Administration. I commend the Administrations initiative in establishing stronger and more consistent relationships with island states whose strategic importance has been recognized by their designation by former Secretary of State Colin Powell as our "third border." This Summit comes at an important time for the American people as we celebrate the contribution of millions of CaribbeanAmed cans during Caribbean American Heritage Month. It is estimated that over 2.6 million CaribbeanAmericans currently live in the United States. People from the Caribbean have contributed to the building of this great nation as the earliest and largest source of Black immigrants to the U.S. It is important to recognize the Caribbean as strategically significant to the U.S. in terms of security. international trade. and education initiatives. Members of CARICOM serve as crossroads for major air and sea routes between North America.
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immigrants immigration