Migrant caravan heads to US border fearing Trump immigration policies

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

REUTERS IS REPORTING ROUGHLY 3-THOUSAND MIGRANTS FROM NEARLY A DOZEN LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES ARE TREKKING TOWARD THE U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER — SPURRED BY CONCERNS OVER POTENTIAL POLICY CHANGES SHOULD DONALD TRUMP WIN THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

MIGRANTS SET OUT FROM CIUDAD HIDALGO — NEAR MEXICO’S SOUTHERN BORDER — REPORTEDLY INTENDING TO SEEK ASYLUM IN THE U-S BEFORE ANY NEW IMMIGRATION POLICIES ARE IMPOSED TO TIGHTEN THE BORDER.

THE CARAVAN’S JOURNEY IS DRIVEN BY FEARS THAT A POTENTIAL FUTURE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION COULD REIMPOSE STRINGENT BORDER POLICIES, INCLUDING RESTRICTING ACCESS TO THE CBP ONE APP. THE APP WORKS ONLY ONCE MIGRANTS REACH MEXICO CITY, OR STATES IN NORTHERN MEXICO.

C-B-P ONE IS CRUCIAL FOR MIGRANTS SEEKING ASYLUM. IT ALLOWS THEM TO SCHEDULE LEGAL APPOINTMENTS AT U.S. BORDER POSTS TO PRESENT THEIR CASES ONCE THEY REACH NORTHERN MEXICO — A KEY GATEWAY FOR INTO THE U.S.

CURRENT U.S. BORDER POLICIES — WHICH SOME CLAIM ARE TOO LENIENT — HAVE LED TO AN UNPRECEDENTED SURGE IN MIGRANT ENTRIES.

IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, THE U.S. BORDER PATROL HAS REPORTED OVER 1.8 MILLION ENCOUNTERS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

MEXICO HAS RESTRICTED BUS AND TRAIN ACCESS FOR MIGRANTS HEADING TO THE U.S. BORDER. THOSE ENTERING MEXICO WITHOUT VISAS FACE DIFFICULTIES OBTAINING TRAVEL PERMITS WHILE MANY DETAINED ARE DEPORTED BY IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS AT NORTHERN CHECKPOINTS.

IN RECENT YEARS, MIGRANTS TRAVELING THROUGH MEXICO HAVE FORMED LARGE GROUPS TO AVOID GANGS AND IMMIGRATION STOPS. THESE CARAVANS OFTEN BREAK APART IN SOUTHERN MEXICO DUE TO THE EXHAUSTING LONG-DISTANCE TREK.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR

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