The first wave of the Honduran migrant caravan has arrived at the U.S. border, and videos have captured their response upon reaching the border walls.
Several videos show people climbing, sitting and walking on the section of border fence between San Diego and Tijuana near Friendship Park on Tuesday, Fox 5 reported Tuesday.
U.S. Border Patrol agents can be seen monitoring the activity while patrolling in various vehicles and on horseback, while Mexico Police observe the activity on the other side.
Watch clips of the footage here:
At least migrants 400 migrants arrived by bus in Tijuana on Tuesday after their arrival wasn’t expected for several more weeks, Desert Sun reported. Thousands more are said to be heading to Tijuana.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a statement on Tuesday warning the general public of extended travel times at points of entry in the area starting Wednesday.
“A large number of specially trained CBP officers from the El Paso, Santa Teresa and Tornillo ports of entry are being deployed to CBP’s Arizona and California ports of entry to support the CBP response to the approaching caravan which now appears to be heading in that direction,” the statement said.
Some 7,000 troops have been deployed to the southern border mission, The Hill reported Tuesday. They are expected to remain at the border for at least another month. President Donald Trump previously said up to 15,000 troops could be deployed to the border in preparation for the incoming migrant caravan.
CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego Pete Flores said in another CBP statement, “CBP has been and will continue to prepare for the potential arrival of thousands of people migrating in a caravan heading towards the border of the United States.”
“These preparations include training exercises, deploying additional CBP personnel, and partnering with the U.S. military to harden our ports of entry and the border area between those legal crossings into the U.S.,” Flores added.
CBP has shut down four lanes of highway at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry in order to harden the border in preparation for the migrant caravan’s arrival. The lanes are not expected to reopen until after the caravan’s arrival at the border, which is expected to conclude in mid-December.
“Department of Defense personnel are installing concertina wire, and pre-positioning jersey barriers, barricades, and fencing as requested by CBP under Operation Secure Line,” the statement noted.
At least 5,000 migrants were estimated to have left Mexico City on Friday, all of which are expected to be heading to Tijuana. Two additional caravans are also still en route to Mexico City.
