A new wave of 7,000 migrants is expected to hit the already flooded US southern border ahead of a visit to Mexico by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later this week.
Mostly from Cuba, Haiti and Honduras, the newly formed caravan of thousands of asylum seekers began its march through Mexico to the border days before Blinken’s meeting with Mexican President Andres Lopez Manuel Obrador to discuss increasing illegal immigration.
Departing from the city of Tapachula in southern Mexico, people start their journey on Christmas Eve.
The migrants in front of the mass held a large cross along with a banner reading “Out of poverty.”
Tapachula officials say the city’s resources are straining to accommodate the unmanageable influx of migrants.
“The problem is the southern border [with Guatemala] open, and 800 to 1,000 people cross it every day,” said senior migrant activist Luis Garcia Villagrin, who accompanied the group. “If we don’t get out of Tapachula, the city will collapse.”
Those leading the latest mass migration march through Mexico held banners reading “Out of poverty.” AP
The caravan advanced about 9 miles after starting their journey at dawn on Sunday, according to the BBC.
There are more than 2 million migrant encounters at the US southern border in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, with officials there warning that the influx shows no signs of slowing.
Nearly a quarter of a million migrants crossed the US southern border in November alone — a new high for the month and the third-highest total in history.
With pressure mounting on the White House to deal with the growing crisis, Obrador has shown a willingness to cooperate with US officials.
The group began its journey on Christmas Eve. AP The number of migrants in the caravan marching towards the US border is estimated at 7,000 people. AP The caravan comes days before a visit to Mexico by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Juan Manuel Blanco/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Mexico’s president spoke with US President Biden last week to address illegal immigration ahead of Blinken’s visit on Wednesday.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre last week tried to downplay the interesting numbers emerging from the border.
“What we see here at the border, the increase in migration flows, of course, it ebbs and flows,” he said. “And we’re at a time of year where we’re seeing more at the border. And it is not unusual. This is an immigration system that has been broken for decades.”
But Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel rejected that position Saturday, arguing that the intrusion has reached unprecedented levels.
“The numbers don’t lie,” McDaniel said. “Joe Biden is creating a humanitarian crisis at our borders and actively undermining our national security.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
