As a “caravan” of nearly 1,500 Latin American migrants march closer towards the U.S. border, Trump has doubled down his rhetoric on both Mexico and Honduras to stop the group seeking refuge in the U.S. Originating in Honduras, Pueblo sin Fronteras, the political outreach group that organized the caravan, has teamed with migrants traveling to America with their extensive experience of leading other caravans of migrants across countries in an illegal manner.
The group recently released statement with a list of demands for the U.S., Mexico, and other Central American countries. Apart from unrestricted access to the countries, they claim they will fight for revisions to current immigration policy.
The statement reads:
“We demand of the Mexico and the United States:
That they respect our rights as refugees and our right to dignified work to be able to support our families.
That they open the borders to us because we are as much citizens as the people of the countries where we are and/or travel.”
The Daily Caller reports that President Trump has met with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis regarding the use of the military to secure the southern border.
Trump has also threatened the Mexican government with ended the NAFTA agreement if they do not end the aid to the caravan coming from neighboring Honduras. Responding to Trump’s charge, Mexican authorities claim they will attempt to disband the group of migrants and allow some to apply for asylum in Mexico.
Nevertheless, the organizers claim that regardless of the moves from the Trump Administration or Mexico, the will march north where, if they can claim asylum and are traveling with a family unit, they legally must be allowed into the interior of the U.S.
On their Facebook page, Pueblo sin Fronteras claims their, “mission is to provide shelter and safety to migrants and refugees in transit, accompany them in their journey, and together demand respect for our human rights.”
“Our dream is to build solidarity bridges among peoples and turndown border walls imposed by greed,” they said.
Trump has also accused the matter to be a leftist stunt orchestrated to take advantage of the situation with DACA. Earlier this month, Democrats failed to make deal with the president to create a bill that would replace the Obama-era executive order.
As one of the largest migrants caravans in history marches towards the southern border via Mexico, Trump has called on Congress to act. If congressional action does not come in time, Trump may move forward with sending military troops to provide national security in the border states before the wall is built.
