A new migrant caravan is moving toward the southern border between the United States and Mexico in the final days of the Biden-Harris administration before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
According to News Nation, Mexican sources have confirmed that a migrant caravan recently departed from Tapachula, Mexico, and is currently heading toward Chiapas, Mexico. Sources indicated that the majority of the migrants are originally from Venezuela and are ultimately heading for Juarez, Mexico, which is located close to El Paso, Texas, and the southern border.
News Nation reported that it is unlikely the migrant caravan will reach the southern border due to Mexican immigration authorities making efforts to prevent migrant groups from moving north past Mexico City. Sources told the outlet that Mexican authorities have labeled the immigration effort “Operation Carousel” and are taking steps to negotiate with the migrants to encourage them to relocate to other Mexican states.
According to Border Report, Rev. Francisco Gonzalez, who runs multiple shelters in northern Mexican cities, warned that over 2,000 migrants in Durango are also planning on heading toward the southern border in the near future.
“People at our shelters in Laguna and Gomez Palacio are expressing their intent to proceed to Piedras Negras, Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juarez,” Gonzalez said. “Our shelter network in Juarez is making preparations [to receive] those who will try to cross before Trump.”
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News Nation reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed the agency is aware of the latest caravan of migrants and monitors for similar caravans multiple times each year.
“These reported caravans generally travel very slowly and often splinter before they make progress moving northbound towards the Southwest Border,” a CBP spokesperson told News Nation. “Nevertheless, CBP will continue to monitor developments in coordination with our foreign and interagency counterparts as we have with previous movements of migrants.”
The CBP spokesperson added, “The fact remains: the United States continues to enforce immigration law, and our borders are not open for those without a legal basis to enter the country.”
Sources in the Mexican cities of Matamoros and Tijuana told News Nation that they expect migrants to rush toward the southern border in the final two weeks before Trump’s inauguration due to concerns that the CBP One app will quickly be ended under the next administration.
A video shared Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, shows the “first migrant caravan of the year” leaving southern Mexico. The video shows massive numbers of migrants moving toward northern Mexico and the U.S. southern border.