Oaxaca de JuaREZ — The Mexican state of Oaxaca is located next to the state of Chiapas and occupies most of Mexico's southern border with Guatemala. It is not uncommon for illegal immigrants from Central and South America to pass through the region to reach the United States, but numbers have reached an all-time high since Joe Biden became president.
That's all starting to change as Donald Trump looks to re-enter the White House next year. Blaze Media traveled to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to see the impact already being caused by President Trump's promise to close the border and the threat of tariffs against Mexico unless local authorities prevent migrants from reaching the U.S. border.
By all accounts, President Trump's statements and the Mexican government's enforcement efforts have reduced the number of migrants passing through the region to low levels.
“Many immigrants used to walk this road,” one of the drivers said as we headed south down the mountain. Currently, the only transportation available is by vehicle.
Another driver told us that just recently, three months before the elections, there had been another large wave of migrants from the port city of Salina Cruz. This was the last time local residents witnessed a large-scale movement of people.
“I'm not thinking about deportation because I'm thinking about entering the United States.”
Blaze Media spoke to migrants and learned that since Trump won last month's election, the journey north is not as easy as it once was. Many of the migrants did not want their names published because they had no intention of returning to their home countries. The majority of the migrants observed by the research team were from Venezuela.
“Yes, things got even more difficult. From the moment we nominated Trump as president, it got terrible. We are now living in uncertainty since he was nominated. We live in fear and insecurity,” one Venezuelan man in a makeshift camp said in an interview. Interview. “We will be desperate to cross the border.”
“We are asking God [Trump] He put his hand on his heart and made a way for us. What we really want is to work and move our families forward,” the man added.
On Mexico's Federal Highway 190, groups of migrants walk along the road toward Mexico City, but they are not moving as one large caravan.
A small group stopped under an overpass told Blaze Media that rumors are circulating that the U.S. border will be open and that the U.S.-Mexico border will be closed by Dec. 18, which the United Nations has designated as International Migration Day. He said he is trying to reach . So that people can pass through.
“Once we get to the border, we're going to go on a hunger strike and all kinds of strikes,” one of the men said.
Despite the growing possibility that migrants from southern Mexico may not reach the U.S. southern border by the time Trump takes office, all those interviewed said they are determined to eventually reach the border. .
One woman said in an interview: “We're all moving toward the same goal and at this point we're not thinking about deportation because we're thinking about entering the United States.”
According to telemundo reporterAfter Blaze Media left the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexican immigration authorities bussed the migrants to a shelter along Federal Highway 190, but then issued them a letter ordering them to leave the country within 10 days.
It remains to be seen how serious Mexico will continue its efforts to stem the flow of migrants to its northern border. known under the Biden administration.authorities who broke up the caravan did not deport the migrants from Mexico. They simply dispersed the migrants across Mexico to avoid the sight of large groups of thousands arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border at once.
The message from the incoming Trump administration is starting to get through to migrants in southern Mexico, but so far many have no intention of changing their policies.
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