A new caravan of migrants has left Mexico's southern border, hoping to reach the U.S. border before the new Trump administration takes office. Mexican immigration officials stood by as the caravan departed, and police escorted it.
About 2,500 migrants left Tapachula, Chiapas, for Mexico City on Tuesday morning. As with other caravans, the migrants are expected to disperse once they arrive in Mexico City, finding various ways to quickly reach the U.S. border, including commercial planes, passenger buses and other vehicles.
Migrants head to Mexico City through Tapachula, Chiapas. (Credit; Breitbart Texas/Cartel Chronicles)
Due to the size of the caravan, Mexican police vehicles escorted the migrants and directed traffic around them.
Breitbart Texas spoke with a senior official from Mexico's National Institute of Migration in Chiapas. The official said the caravan of migrants has been spending months in Chiapas waiting for an appointment on the Biden-Harris administration's CBP One app. The official said the caravan members entered Mexico through the southern border and most had applied for Mexican permits.
Migrants queue for travel permits outside the INM office in Chiapas. (Credit: Breitbart Texas/Cartel Chronicles
This permit allows them to remain in the country while awaiting an appointment. Long wait times to schedule hearings and growing fears that asylum rules will change under the new administration have forced these migrants to travel north in hopes of being allowed to enter and remain in the United States. It is the latest of several recent caravans to have started.
Most migrants had permits, so Mexican immigration officials were unable to stop them from traveling. Law enforcement stood by and watched until the caravan began. Some agents took photos of the caravan for internal agency documents.
A Mexican INM agent takes photos of a migrant caravan. (Credit: Breitbart Texas/Cartel Chronicles)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum this week criticized President Donald J. Trump's claims that if he takes office he would impose tariffs on Mexico if the country does not stop the growing number of migrants and asylum seekers heading to the United States.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist at Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Breitbart, Texas Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Breitbart's senior management team. you can follow him Twitter And even more facebook. He can be contacted at: iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Breitbart, Texas Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Breitbart's senior management team. please follow him Twitter and facebook. He can be contacted at: bdarby@breitbart.com.
“Williams Cortez” of Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles Project contributed to this report.
