Thousands march in migrant caravan toward US southern border

MIGRANT CARAVANS MOVING NORTH THROUGH MEXICO ARE NOT A NEW PHENOMENON. SOME HAVE GAINED NATIONAL HEADLINES. IN 2018, A CARAVAN CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF THEN-PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, LEADING TO INCREASED BORDER CRACKDOWNS IN THE U.S.

TODAY, A GROWING NUMBER OF MIGRANTS ARE JOURNEYING NORTH FROM MEXICO’S SOUTHERN BORDER TO THE UNITED STATES ESCORTED BY CIVIL PROTECTION OFFICIALS AND AMBULANCES.

INITIALLY, AROUND 35-HUNDRED PEOPLE BEGAN THEIR JOURNEY MONDAY NEAR THE GUATEMALAN BORDER, ACCORDING TO MEXICAN OFFICIALS. HOWEVER, MORE RECENT ESTIMATES FROM ORGANIZERS SUGGEST THE GROUP HAS GROWN TO APPROXIMATELY 7-THOUSAND.

IRINEO MUJICA – AN ORGANIZER FOR THE CARAVAN, AFFILIATED WITH THE GROUP “PEOPLE WITHOUT BORDERS,” – HAS STRESSED THAT MIGRANTS CONFRONT UNSANITARY CONDITIONS, OFTEN LIVING ON THE STREETS WHEN DETENTION CENTERS ARE OVERCROWDED WHILE THEY WAIT FOR HUMANITARIAN VISAS FROM MEXICAN OFFICIALS.

WITHIN MEXICO’S OVERBURDENED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM – MOST NOTABLY SEEING MORE 10-THOUSAND MIGRANTS REACH THE US BORDER IN ONE DAY – THOSE SEEKING VISAS FREQUENTLY WAIT FOR WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS, UNABLE TO ENGAGE IN WORK. 

THE MIGRANT CARAVAN IS MORE THAN 1-THOUSAND MILES AWAY. STILL, THIS DEVELOPMENT ADDS TO THE GROWING PRESSURE ON THE U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER.

THIS CARAVAN COINCIDES WITH A INCREASE  IN MIGRANTS USING A DANGEROUS ROUTE THROUGH PANAMA’S DARIÉN GAP

BORDER OFFICIALS HAVE SEEN A SURGE IN CHINESE MIGRANTS, GUIDED BY DETAILED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS FROM OTHER CHINESES MIGRANTS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MADE THE SAME JOURNEY.

U-S CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION REPORTED THAT APPREHENSIONS OF CHINESE NATIONALS AT THE U.S SOUTHERN BORDER HAVE SURGED TO OVER 24-THOUSAND FOR FISCAL YEAR 20-23, THAT’S AN 11-HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE COMPARED TO THE YEAR BEFORE. 

THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE DARIEN GAP HAS BECOME POPULAR FOR CHINESE MIGRANTS BECAUSE THEY CAN ENTER ECUADOR WITHOUT A VISA AND THEN JOIN LATIN AMERICAN MIGRANT GROUPS TO MAKE THE TREK NORTH.

ALL THIS COMES AS BIDEN IS EXPECTED TO HOST SOUTH AMERICAN LEADERS FOR A SUMMIT ON MIGRATION TOMORROW TO “REAFFIRM ITS COMMITMENT FOR COOPERATION ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TACKLING IRREGULAR MIGRATION”