Mexican immigration authorities have dismantled two small migrant caravans that were making their way to the U.S. border, according to activists on Saturday. Some migrants were provided with bus transportation to southern cities in Mexico, while others were offered transit papers to facilitate their movement.
This action coincides with recent threats from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who warned of imposing 25% tariffs on Mexican goods unless more stringent measures are taken to curb the flow of migrants toward the U.S. border. On Wednesday, Trump asserted that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had agreed to address unauthorized migration. Sheinbaum confirmed this on her social media accounts, stating that “migrants and caravans are taken care of before they reach the border.”
Migrant rights activist Luis García Villagrán remarked that the disbanding of the two caravans seems to stem from an “agreement between the president of Mexico and the president of the United States.”
The first of the caravans departed from Tapachula, a southern Mexican city near the Guatemala border, on November 5, coinciding with Trump’s election. At its peak, it comprised about 2,500 individuals. After nearly four weeks of travel, the caravan covered approximately 270 miles (430 kilometers), arriving in the town of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca.
In Tehuantepec, Mexican immigration officials offered exhausted migrants free bus rides to various cities in southern and central Mexico. Bárbara Rodríguez, an opposition supporter from Venezuela who left her country following contested elections, shared that some were taken to Acapulco, Morelia, and Oaxaca City. Rodríguez later traveled independently to Mexico City.
In a statement released on Saturday, the National Immigration Institute noted that migrants voluntarily accepted transportation to locations with medical assistance and where their immigration status would be reviewed, indicating that they chose to avoid risks along their journey.
The second caravan, consisting of about 1,500 migrants, began its journey on November 20 and reached Tonala in Chiapas state, approximately 140 miles (225 kilometers) away. There, authorities provided a transit visa that permits travel across Mexico for 20 days.
President Sheinbaum expressed optimism about avoiding a tariff conflict with the United States. However, her statement following a phone conversation with Trump did not clarify the specific terms of the agreement.
Unlike the much larger caravans of 2018 and 2019 — which received bus assistance for parts of their journey — migrant caravans have generally struggled to reach the U.S. border coherently, with some individuals managing to cross under different circumstances. For years, these caravans have faced harassment and obstruction from Mexican police and immigration agents, often being rounded up or returned to areas near the Guatemalan border.
Credit: ABC News
