According to reporters in Mexico, the caravan of Honduran migrants headed to the U.S. has grown to over 7000 men, women and children:
MIGRANT CARAVAN: They’ve started walking up on the highway in Chiapas, southern Mexico. Officials say it’s more than 7,200 people. pic.twitter.com/1ddlQCgCwZ
— KarlaZabs (@karlazabs) October 21, 2018
To give you some perspective on how big it is, it’s big:
— KarlaZabs (@karlazabs) October 21, 2018
President Donald Trump tweeted earlier that “Full efforts are being made to stop the onslaught of illegal aliens from crossing our Southern Border” and that “People have to apply for asylum in Mexico first, and if they fail to do that, the U.S. will turn them away”:
Full efforts are being made to stop the onslaught of illegal aliens from crossing our Souther Border. People have to apply for asylum in Mexico first, and if they fail to do that, the U.S. will turn them away. The courts are asking the U.S. to do things that are not doable!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 21, 2018
But it’s not clear that Mexico is actually on board with “full efforts” as we’re seeing multiple reports of Mexican police standing down once they encountered the caravan:
Riot police tell me they’ve been ordered to stop the caravan. There are more than 100 of them. pic.twitter.com/wuoFDIuIg4
— KarlaZabs (@karlazabs) October 21, 2018
Police retreated for the 2nd time today. Again, strategy seems to be: put on show of force ahead of the caravan (appease Trump) but let people through.
— KarlaZabs (@karlazabs) October 21, 2018
“There’s no plan” doesn’t sound very good:
Moments later, hundreds of police returned to their busses. All day, they have blocked the road, then retreated. “There’s no plan,” one says https://t.co/6C7LssBxiq
— Kate Linthicum (@katelinthicum) October 21, 2018
Stop spreading fake news, @realDonaldTrump. 100s of Mexican police, in buses, patrol cars and a helicopter, let the caravan through.
It is an unstoppable, interminable mass of organized, thirsty families. https://t.co/hiRFCXDHgh
— KarlaZabs (@karlazabs) October 21, 2018
Police also did nothing to stop the migrants from entering Mexico illegally from Guatemala:
Seems like orders by MX gov’t were: don’t let ppl cross the bridge (Trump won’t like that image) but doesn’t matter if they get in elsewhere.
Police walk by 100s of migrants who crossed illegally at plaza in Cd Hidalgo, MX, making calls & washing clothes, and don’t do anything. pic.twitter.com/yVrGmMoXvd
— KarlaZabs (@karlazabs) October 20, 2018
Now, there are reports that some migrants are indeed applying for asylum in Mexico:
Authorities have been offering to take #caravanamigrantes to a “shelter” at the Feria Mesoamericana, an annual fairground. But migrants inside aren’t allowed out. Press aren’t allowed in. Honduran consul is here and he’s also being denied access. This is a detention center
— James Fredrick (@jameslfredrick) October 21, 2018
Three buses full of migrants just arrived here. Migration agents will not talk to me #caravanamigrantes pic.twitter.com/axshSd0sch
— James Fredrick (@jameslfredrick) October 21, 2018
According to what we’re seeing, the migrants must wait in the camp for their asylum request to go through, which could take “approx 45 days”:
Agents now tell me these are people understand where they’re going and that they could be in this fairground/detention center for approx 45 days as their asylum case is reviewed. Migrants still on buses. I haven’t been able to talk to them yet
— James Fredrick (@jameslfredrick) October 21, 2018
Migrants are saying they were “tricked” into the camp:
I just met a Honduran man here. He lives in Mexico. his daughter, nieces and nephews were in the migrant caravan. They called him to say they were going with migration to get a visa to stay in Mexico. They came here. They can’t call him, can’t come out. He says they were tricked
— James Fredrick (@jameslfredrick) October 21, 2018
So, we don’t expect this to be a viable option must longer as fear spreads among the group that once they check into a camp they’re stuck there:
Migrants asking migration agent “if we go in, can we come out?” He responds “we have food water, medical attention inside.” A woman yells back “that’s not an answer!” pic.twitter.com/91LU62uLRo
— James Fredrick (@jameslfredrick) October 21, 2018
For people inside, there’s chance they’re granted asylum in Mexico and can be in the country legally. But that process takes at least 45 days and less than half of Hondurans that applied for asylum in Mexico in 2017 were granted it. The people I spoke to hear didn’t know that
— James Fredrick (@jameslfredrick) October 21, 2018
Other reporters on the scene saying the caravan participants are ignoring the Mexican immigration agents:
A group of immigration agents stopped the caravan to ask them to apply for asylum in Mexico. The caravan blew past them.
— Kate Linthicum (@katelinthicum) October 21, 2018
And the caravan continues:
Federal Migration Commissioner: ppl will be taken to a shelter and won’t be able to leave the state of Chiapas till their visas are processed (but impossible to stop 7,200+ ppl).
— KarlaZabs (@karlazabs) October 21, 2018
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Related:
We doubt CNN reporter meant his photos of migrant caravan to be ‘a walking GOP ad’ https://t.co/M6tQg9qavv
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 21, 2018
ICYMI ==> Dennis Miller takes a guess at what happens if the caravan reaches US ‘by November 6th’ https://t.co/2KPMyGa4IY
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 20, 2018
No big deal, just the migrant caravan breaking down the Guatemala border fence and entering Mexico [video, photos] https://t.co/lga9MA5mVx
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 19, 2018
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