World News

A group of 2,000 migrants in southern Mexico depart for the US weeks before election — worried about potential new administration

By
Alex Oliveira
Published Oct. 20, 2024
Updated Oct. 21, 2024, 6:06 p.m. ET

A caravan of about 2,000 migrants is racing across Mexico toward the US border in the hopes of getting into the countryā™” ahead of the looming election, as fears that the election of former President Donald Trump could halt crossings completely.

The caravan departed from Tapachula — one of Mexicoā€™s southernmost cities on the border with Guatemala ā€“ on Sunday, and began the nearly 2,000-mile trek to the US with men, women, and children from across Latin America.

Many of the migrants fear that whomever is voted into the White House on November 5 could end the asylum program completely. As a result, they believe that the next few months until a new president is sworn in on Jan. 20 wišŸ”“ll be the last chance to cross the border.

Migrants walk in a caravan
Migrants walk in a caravan in the municipality of Tapachula in the state of Chiapas, Mexico on Oct. 20, 2024. Juan Manuel Blanco/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Members of the Mexican National Guard observe the migrants of different nationalities walk towards the United States
Some migrants believe a new administration in the US could put an end to asylum appointments through an online system called CBP One. AFP via Getty Images

ā€œThat is what makes us fearful. They say this could change because they could both close the CBP One appointment and all the services that are helping migrants,ā€ said VenšŸŒøezuelan Joel Zambrano, referring to Border Patrolā€™s online platform which allows migrants to quickly apply for asylum and enter the country.

In the last two years, roughly 1.3 million migrants have made it into the US using the likes of Biden’s CBP One app and other legal avenues under the Biden-Harris administration.

More than 8 million have sš”‰neaked in or been released into the US after crossing the border illegally. 

Former president Donald TšŸ¦„rump has vowed that getting the border under control will be his ā€œfirst priorityā€ if he wins the election, promising to deport millions of migrants who have illegally entered the country.

Migrants of different nationalities walk towards the United States on a highway in Tapachula, Chiapas State, Mexico
Both the lack of jobs in Mexicoā€™s south due to a new wave of incoming foreigners and a delay in asylum appointments in the US. AFP via Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris ā€“ who has been more vague about her intentions with the border should she win the election ā€“ has even begun to use stronger language about the need for border seź¦›curity.

ā€œI will do more to secure our border, to reduce illegal border crossings,ā€ Harris said during her first visit to the border as the Democratic presidential nominee. ā€œI will take further actšŸ…°ion to keep the border closed betšŸ‘ween ports of entry.ā€

If elected, she promised to expand on a June executive order from Biden thą± at bars migrants who enter the country illegally from applying for asylum.

SundašŸ§øyā€™s caravan is just the latest to start its way across Mexico in recent weeks, but also the largest in recent daš„¹ys.

Earlier in October caravans of 800 andšŸ§ø 600 migrants each started toward the US border.

ā€œThe situation in my country is very bad, the president doesnā€™t do anything for us,” said Honduran Roberto DomĆ­nguez, 48, who is preparing to leave Tapachula for America as soon as he can.

With Post wires.