What’s Next for the Migrant ‘Caravan’?
Migrants take part in a caravan on the outskirts of Tapachula, on their way to Huixtla, Chiapas state, Mexico, on Oct. 22, 2018.
Photographer: Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty ImagesA "caravan" of Central American migrants seeking a fresh start in the U.S. is nearing the end of one perilous journey and starting the next. An overwhelmed refugee shelter in Tijuana, just yards from the U.S. border, has become home to thousands of the migrants, adults and children, who may need to wait months for their applications to be considered at the main port of entry to San Diego. On Nov. 25, U.S. agents shot several rounds of tear gas at migrants trying to breach the border, at least some of whom were reported to be throwing rocks. U.S. President Donald Trump, confronting an issue near to his heart, has tried to make it harder to apply for asylum and even threatened to close the border with Mexico.
Most in the caravan that became a U.S. campaign issue are said to be Hondurans fleeing poverty, joblessness and extortion in one of the world’s most violent and gang-ridden nations. Migrants often travel in large groups for safety from criminals and corrupt officials, and this latest caravan set out from San Pedro Sula, Honduras’ second city, in October 2018, gained adherents as it progressed through Central America. Among the individuals profiled by news organizations covering the caravan are 31-year-old Oscar Zapata, who said he and his family were fleeing gangsters who were demanding a slice of the money he made selling pirated DVDs in his hometown of La Ceiba, Honduras; and Roberto Mauricio Vasquez, 33, an electrician from Choluteca, Honduras, who said gangs there demand protection payments from him. At least some of the migrants are said to be from Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.