Hundreds of migrants on Wednesday formed a caravan and began their journey on foot from the Mexican city of Tapachula, aiming to reach the US border before President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged large-scale deportations, takes office in January.
“My mentality is to get there, I want my (asylum) appointment before he (Trump) takes power,” Colombian Yamel Enriquez told AFP, adding, “If I don’t get the appointment before, I will give myself over to whatever God wants.”
The group of around 1,500 people set out in the early morning hours, embarking on a trek of approximately 2,600 kilometers.
Migrant caravans have been forming since 2018, serving as a last hope for those unable to afford smugglers. Traveling alone or in small groups often leads to detention by authorities, who either send migrants back to southern Mexico or deport them to their home countries. In contrast, large caravans provide safety in numbers, making it difficult for immigration agents to detain the entire group, AP reported.
Donald Trump, whose election was heavily influenced by concerns over illegal immigration, has vowed to declare a national emergency on border security and deploy the US military to carry out mass deportations of undocumented migrants.
With an estimated 11 million people living in the United States illegally, Trump has further fueled fears by referring to the migration as an “invasion,” claiming that migrants pose a threat of violence to Americans.