A new caravan of about 1,500 migrants began its journey Wednesday from Tapachula, Mexico, near the Guatemala border. Comprising mainly Central and South Americans, the group hopes to reach the United States before Donald Trump’s January 20 inauguration, fearing tighter border restrictions under his administration.
Migrant caravans have become a desperate choice for those unable to pay smugglers. Traveling in large groups offers safety from deportation, as immigration authorities struggle to detain hundreds of migrants at once. However, this method also presents severe challenges.
Migrants face dangers such as extortion and abduction by drug cartels operating along the route. These criminal organizations often demand payment for safe passage or resort to kidnapping and torture to extort funds from the migrants’ families. Additionally, the journey itself is grueling, with over 1,100 miles separating Tapachula from the nearest US border crossing in Matamoros, Texas. Migrants endure extreme heat, dehydration, and physical exhaustion, compounded for those traveling with children.
The urgency among migrants stems from their dire living conditions in Tapachula, where work opportunities are scarce. Many hope to secure US asylum appointments through the CBP One app, which was recently expanded to southern Mexico to streamline applications. Yet, some prefer to be near the border to avoid missing appointments if granted.
Despite measures to reduce caravans, including offering asylum appointments and restricting rides for migrants, caravans persist. Mexican authorities have dissolved previous groups by issuing temporary transit permits, while some participants resort to hitchhiking or boarding trucks in their quest to reach the border.
With Trump pledging to dismantle the CBP One app and impose stricter immigration measures, many migrants like Yotzeli Peña, a Venezuelan, feel a race against time. “We hope to cross before he takes office,” Peña shared, reflecting the urgency driving this latest caravan.
Although caravans rarely remain intact for the entire journey, their formation highlights the ongoing struggles faced by migrants navigating the complexities of border policies and humanitarian crises.