Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to visit Panama and other Central American countries as President Donald Trump works to reclaim the Panama Canal and curb illegal immigration.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce confirmed that Secretary Rubio will visit Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic later next week. The trip is expected to be his first overseas trip as secretary of state.

The State Department said Secretary Rubio is making engagement with the Western Hemisphere a priority.

“Engaging with neighbors is an important element in addressing immigration, supply chain and economic growth issues, which are key to Secretary Rubio’s pursuit of a foreign policy that makes the United States strong, prosperous and secure,” a spokesperson told VOA.

President Trump said he has not ruled out taking military or economic measures to achieve his stated goal of bringing the Panama Canal back under U.S. control.

Earlier this week, Rubio outlined his foreign policy priorities, including stemming the flow of illegal immigration into the United States.

“The State Department will no longer engage in any activities that promote or encourage mass immigration,” Rubio said in a statement. “Our diplomatic relations with other countries, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, will prioritize securing America’s borders, stopping illegal and destabilizing migration, and negotiating the return of illegal immigrants” to their home countries.