- A migrant caravan of around 400 people is bound for the US-Mexico border.
- The group is largely made up of Central Americans and Haitians and includes women and children.
- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed to prevent caravans from trekking further north.
A migrant caravan of around 400 people departed the southern Mexican city of Tapachula on Saturday and is heading for the US-Mexico border, Reuters reported.
The group, which is made up largely of Central Americans and Haitians, said they were fleeing poverty and violence. Many of the migrants are women and children.
Sharon, a 31-year-old Honduran mother, who did not want to give her last name, told Reuters she is struggling to support her children.
“I’ve handed in paperwork, but nothing ever gets fixed,” Sharon said, according to Reuters. “Just appointments and more appointments. I am scared, but if I don’t get out of here, I’m not going to get work.”
Mexican officials have tried to disperse other caravans that have been making their way to the US in recent weeks.
Earlier this week, officials came under fire after a video published by news website Animal Politico showed a man crying as he held a woman who appeared unconscious on the ground outside an immigration vehicle. It is not clear why she fainted.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed to prevent caravans from trekking further north and said he would urge President Joe Biden to make it easier for migrants to obtain work in the United States.
“I will send a letter next week at the latest, because we cannot just be detaining, holding back, we must address the causes,” he said, according to Reuters.
Mexico’s southern border has provided passage to migrants crossing into Mexico for many years. The last major organized caravans occurred in 2018.