A record-breaking caravan of around 7,000 migrants from six different Latin American countries is heading towards the US border, with its leader accusing President Biden of “dropping the ball” and allowing for the crisis to escalate.
The caravan, which left southern Mexico on Monday, comprises mostly of people from Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Venezuela. Its leader, Irineo Mujica, who is a US citizen and a self-described “human rights defender,” claimed that the leaders of Latin American countries are conspiring to create the current immigration crisis to extract money from the US.
According to Mujica, who has been accompanying the migrants, the leaders of these countries have been “transporting people in” and charging them money to reach the US border, where they are temporarily held and released instead of being deported. He also accused Mexico of “ganging up” with other countries in the region to ensure that immigration flows directly into the US.
Mujica criticized President Biden’s handling of the crisis, stating that “the Biden administration had lost the ball” and did not know what to do. He claimed that while former President Trump knew how to prevent immigration, Biden had allowed the situation to spiral out of control.
The caravan’s leader further stated that the “irresponsible” actions of these countries were “weaponizing” immigration against the US and that Biden should have reached an agreement with them to tackle it. He also accused them of taking advantage of Biden’s lenient policies towards immigration, which have caused a surge in the number of people trying to enter the US.
No matter what side of the issue are you on, you can’t think this is good for anybody- this is not sustainable for public safety – @FoxNews @DanProft
Largest migrant caravan in year heading to US – as leader mocks Biden’s border policies https://t.co/Gvwx0BJcwQ via @nypost
— Chief Thomas Weitzel-Retired (@ChiefWeitzel) November 1, 2023
The migrants in the caravan have faced numerous challenges, with many fleeing poverty and political unrest in their homelands. They complained that the processing of refugee or exit visas in Mexico takes too long and often leaves them without any means to support themselves during the wait.
Some migrants have been forced to live on the streets in dire conditions, with little to no assistance from the Mexican authorities. Asylum seekers can wait for weeks, or even months, for their visas to be processed, and in the meantime, they have no means of earning a living.
This is not the first time a large caravan has formed in Latin America, with a similar one in June 2020 comprising 6,000 migrants. The current situation is testing Mexico’s already overwhelmed migration system, with record numbers of people crossing the dangerous Darien Gap region connecting Panama and Colombia.
With mounting pressure on Biden to tackle the immigration crisis, it remains to be seen how he will address this latest challenge. As the largest caravan in a year heads towards the US, the president may face increasing pressure to toughen his immigration policies to stem the flow of migrants.