About 50 people in the 1,500-person caravan of Central Americans traveling to the U.S. to seek asylum have made the 2,000-mile trip to the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, according to multiple reports.
The crew of mostly Honduran and Guatemalan people embarked in March on a journey north to the United States. The group traveled together for safety reasons and to avoid being robbed in dangerous parts of Mexico.
The group that arrived at the northern Mexico city on Wednesday have begun filing for asylum, which is technically a request for refugee status.
âSince yesterday, some began to cross into the United States to turn themselves in from Tijuana and request asylum. We understand more … will do the same,â Juventud 2000 Director Jose Maria Garcia, who is helping caravan members in their journey, told Reuters.
Those who have traveled as family units or unaccompanied minors will have priority for admittance because the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act allows those who show up at a U.S. port of entry and are from a noncontiguous country to be admitted while he or she waits on an immigration hearing. The large majority of those immigration hearings take up to two years, and most do not show up.
Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request to confirm the arrival of 50 caravan members at Mexico’s side of the San Diego Sector.
This caravan attracted the attention of the U.S. media as well as the Trump administration in March, after group members said they planned to demand asylum once at the U.S. border. Mexican officials indicated that most would not try to cross into the U.S., but admitted some might try.
President Trump threatened to end negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement and in early April, approved the deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops to the Southwest border.
Members of the caravan have stated they plan to seek asylum and not illegally enter America. Trump’s calls for military at the border would allow Customs and Border Protection officers and Border Patrol agents to process those who show up while the guardsmen would focus on non-law enforcement tasks the Department of Homeland Security agency is also responsible for.
Caravan organizer Irineo Mujica told one reporter following the caravan that the attention from Trump prompted Mexican officials to try to break up the group in hopes of pleasing the U.S.
The large group did fall apart, but some smaller groups have regrouped in the final stages of the trip north after alleged kidnappings of members, he added.
Mujica said 500 people are still riding on top of Mexican trains to the U.S.
