Amidst reports that a caravan of illegal immigrants is currently marching through Mexico en route to the United States, President Donald Trump issued statements via Twitter calling for Mexico to take action. There are approximately 1,200 immigrants, mostly from Honduras, traveling to the United States border.
The group is organized by volunteers calling themselves Pueblos Sin Fronteras, which translates to People Without Borders. Volunteers have organized to ensure safe passage to the United States by providing security through numbers.
Their Mission
The immigrants plan to march through Mexico and make their way to the United States border, where they’ll enter either illegally or by requesting asylum. According to members of the group, living conditions in Honduras are terrible and the crime rate is high. Despite the crime rate in Mexico being high, they’re willing to take their chances. The group is counting on its sheer size for protection from immigration agents and criminal elements.
While the majority of the group plans to enter the United States, many plan to relocate to areas of Mexico. The journey includes the group boarding a dangerous freight train that’ll take them north towards the United States.
Mexico’s Response
The group has advanced through Mexico without any trouble. Mexican immigration agents have stepped out of the way, unequipped to handle such a large crowd. One immigration agent spoke with a media outlet upon learning of the size of the crowd. Rather than perform her job, she retreated to a restaurant to “have a nice relaxing Coke.” The country seems to have accepted the caravan as something it’s powerless to stop.
President Trump’s Response
President Trump has called upon the Mexican government to intervene and stop the immigrants on their side of the border. The president used his Twitter account to blast the country for their lack of law enforcement, as well as the United States catch-and-release policy. Through that practice, illegal immigrants are picked up and documented. Once they’re given a date to appear before a judge to find out their fate, they’re released pending a hearing. Many never appear and slip into the population where they remain undetected or take refuge in sanctuary cities.
Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. “Caravans” coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018
Taking to Twitter, President Trump presented a tough stance on Mexico.
“Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!”
He also addressed Democrats and placed some blame on the catch-and-release policy and said there would be no more DACA deal, “These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!”
