Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that a newly forming migrant caravan in the country’s south is not currently moving towards the United States, following a warning from US President Donald Trump that he could double tariffs on Mexican goods if migrant groups reach the US border.
Sheinbaum made the statement on Friday, November 13, during her regular morning press conference, saying that an earlier migrant caravan had broken up during its journey and that most of its members had returned to their countries of origin.
She confirmed that another group was beginning to form but insisted that it was not yet travelling north towards the United States.
“There is no caravan currently in transit through our country on its way to the border,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico’s National Migration Institute told Reuters that approximately 870 migrants had gathered in Huixtla, a city in the southern state of Chiapas, about 60 kilometres west of the border with Guatemala.
However, two local sources and a non-governmental organisation estimated the number of people in the group at between 1,500 and 2,000. If confirmed, the gathering would represent the largest migrant caravan recorded in Mexico so far this year.
The group includes migrants of different nationalities who are seeking to continue their journey through Mexico towards the United States.
The latest developments come after Trump threatened on Thursday to double tariffs on Mexican goods if Mexico failed to prevent migrant groups from reaching the US border.
The threat adds pressure to migration cooperation between the two neighbouring countries, which are also major trading partners. Mexico and the United States exchanged approximately $779 billion worth of goods during the first nine months of 2026.
Despite the tariff warning, Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the emerging migrant group had not affected ongoing trade negotiations between both countries as of Friday.
Ebrard added that he remained in contact with his counterparts in the United States over the issue.
The latest increase in migration movements, involving mainly people from Central America, follows last week’s US midterm elections, in which the Democratic Party won control of Congress beginning in January.
Some prospective migrants in Central America reportedly hope the election outcome could create more opportunities to live and work in the United States.
Their expectations come after the Trump administration intensified immigration enforcement, resulting in the forced deportation of many migrants and others choosing to leave the country.
The situation highlights the continuing challenges facing Mexico as it manages migration through its territory while responding to pressure from Washington over movements towards the US border.