On the morning of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, more than 2,000 migrants began trekking from southern Mexico, hoping to reach the United States. The migrant caravan, made up of men, women and children, walked along the highway out of Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border.
“The best thing for our family is to go at least to Mexico City, where there are more employment opportunities, and you can actually settle here in Mexico while you wait for the new processes that may come from this new U.S. government,” Olindo Colmenares, a Venezuelan migrant traveling with his wife and son, told The Associated Press.
Several migrant caravans have left southern Mexico since the presidential election. However, thousands of people have failed to travel far and were usually dispersed by Mexican authorities within days.
Now, these migrants are on the move, despite President Trump signing 10 executive orders aimed at border security.
Trump also declared a state of emergency to deploy resources to the U.S. southern border.
Among the orders, Trump shut down the Biden-era CBP One app. The app allowed migrants to schedule asylum appointments and present themselves at a U.S. port of entry. Another order allows the construction of the border wall to resume. Trump also reinstated the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy. It requires migrants seeking asylum to stay in Mexico until their asylum appointment.
Fox News spoke to one migrant from Cuba named Maria, who said she believes the U.S. government will continue to offer a pathway for migrants to enter the United States.