Just a few hours earlier President Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday, a migrant caravan of more than 2,000 people set off deep into southern Mexico with the aim of crossing into the US
The caravan, made up of men, women and children from several countries, marched in the dark early Monday through the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala. The migrants carried bags and backpacks, while migrant parents pushed children in strollers or carried young people on their shoulders.
According to Border Report, it is at least the tenth largest caravan to leave Tapachula since the US elections. It would take an adult migrant about 16 days of non-stop walking to reach the southern border.
Migrants from a caravan in Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, march toward the U.S. border on January 20, 2025. (ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The caravan is on its way, despite Trump signing a flurry executive orders on Monday curb illegal immigration. He also declared a national border emergency.
In one order, Trump directed the federal government to resume construction of the border wall, which has been largely dormant under the Biden administration. That order also ended Biden-era parole policies, including the use of the CBP One app to parole migrants into the US.
Erkin Torres, a migrant from Colombia who is part of the caravan, said he believes Trump’s actions cannot replace the United Nations, inferring what he believes is his right to seek asylum.
‘Just as Donald Trump takes power, he cannot surpass power United Nationsunderstand? United as one,” Torres told Reuters.
“The world is complete and supports us because the cause is one: better economic stability and giving those children there a better future.”
Another migrant, Maria Leidis from Cuba, said the new U.S. administration will still provide migrants with a route to enter the U.S., despite the CBP One app going offline.
President Donald Trump presents the second executive order during the inaugural parade at the Capital One Arena on Inauguration Day of his second presidential term in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
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“Well, we feel quite sad because our goal is to get in, and the fact that we know they won’t let us in breaks our hearts,” she told Reuters. “But we think if he doesn’t come through this CBP One application, he’ll go another route, and we’ll come in.”
Migrants form caravans because they believe there is safety in numbers, because that is difficult or impossible for immigration agents to detain large groups of hundreds of migrants. Some hope to catch a ride to help them on their journey, while others will make the arduous journey to the southern border on foot in the scorching heat.
Many caravans disperse after a few days of walking, with the Mexican government saying it is also trying to break them up, while Trump promises to impose huge tariffs on Mexico if it does not stop the influx.
Elsewhere, migrants waiting for an appointment through the app remained stranded in several locations along the Mexican side of the southern border.
The migrants carried bags and backpacks, while migrant parents pushed children in strollers or carried young people on their shoulders. (ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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In addition to canceling the CBP One app, Trump also ordered government agencies to reinstate the app Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)known as the Remain-in-Mexico policy. That policy from Trump’s first term, which was ended by the Biden administration, required migrants to remain in Mexico during their asylum hearings.
Another command ordered the deployment of American troops the border under the U.S. Northern Command to prioritize U.S. border and territorial integrity in strategic planning.
President Trump has also designated international cartels and organizations, including MS-13 and the bloodthirsty Tren de Aragua, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). An FTO designation allows targeted action against members, including financial sanctions.
Reuters contributed to this report.
