It’s been more than 48 hours since the caravan from Central America arrived in Mexico and clashed with the National Guard. Stranded, immigrants and asylum seekers are considering all of their options. But 2,500 Hondurans, as well as dozens of Nicaraguans, Guatemalans and Salvadorans, say going back is not one of them, according to reports from immigration reports obtained by La Prensa.
“We came in the caravan, and they didn’t let it pass,” a Honduran immigrant told the newspaper. They pushed forward on foot, but very few were able to successfully cross the Suchiate River.
In terms of options, there are three viable paths forward that the group of more than 4,000 is considering. First, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said there are 4,000 jobs available for those who complete the appropriate paperwork and registration. As of Tuesday, 1,200 of those slots were filled. Another option is an assisted return home. Thus far, authorities claim 113 Hondurans and 68 Salvadorans took that offer. The last option, of course, is to forge ahead and continue the arduous journey to the U.S. Thousands opted for that.
In fact, 2,500 Hondurans, as well as dozens of Nicaraguans, Guatemalans and Salvadorans, chose to move forward.
El Instituto Nación de Migración in Mexico said more than 400 people have been arrested thus far. The Trump administration, for one, is content with the Guard’s work. Chad Wolf, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary, released his first statement on the matter on Wednesday.
“I commend the Government of Mexico for upholding their commitment to increased security and law enforcement at their southern border … DHS is monitoring the caravan closely, we have dozens of personnel on the ground in Central America assisting local immigration and security officials,” he wrote.
“It was total chaos,” the Honduran man said in Spanish, recalling the clash at the Guatemalan border. “But Hondurans are strong.”
