Migrant caravan heading to U.S. border puts Mexico in tough spot with Trump

[webfact]

Migrant caravan heading to U.S. border puts Mexico in tough spot with Trump

By Delphine Schrank and Mica Rosenberg

 

As a so-called "refugee caravan" makes its way from Central America to the United States, President Donald Trump renewed his calls Monday for Congress to act on immigration, urging lawmakers in a tweet to "use the nuclear option if necessary."

 

IXTEPEC, Mexico/EDINBURG, Texas (Reuters) - In some of the Mexican towns playing host to a "caravan" of more than 1,200 Central American migrants heading to the U.S. border, the welcome mat has been rolled out despite President Donald Trump's call for Mexican authorities to stop them.

 

Local officials have offered lodging in town squares and empty warehouses or arranged transport for the migrants, participants in a journey organised by the immigrant advocacy group Pueblo San Fronteras. The officials have conscripted buses, cars, ambulances and police trucks. But the help may not be entirely altruistic.

 

“The authorities want us to leave their cities,” said Rodrigo Abeja, an organizer from Pueblo San Fronteras. “They’ve been helping us, in part to speed the massive group out of their jurisdictions.”

 

At some point this spring, the caravan's 2,000-mile (3,200-km) journey that began at Tapachula near the Guatemalan border on March 25 will end at the U.S. border, where some of its members will apply for asylum, while others will attempt to sneak into the United States.

 

So far the Mexican federal government has provided little guidance on how to handle the migrants but Abeja worries that local reactions will change.

 

“There’s a lot of pressure from authorities to stop the caravan because of Donald Trump’s reaction,” he said.

 

Trump railed on Twitter against the caravan on Monday, accusing Mexico of “doing very little, if not NOTHING” to stop the flow of immigrants crossing the U.S. border illegally. “They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA,” he concluded.

 

Mexico's interior minister Alfonso Navarrete did not directly address the caravan, but he wrote on Twitter that he spoke to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Monday, and that the two had “agreed to analyse the best ways to attend to the flows of migrants in accordance with the laws of each country."

 

Mexico must walk a delicate line with the United States as the countries are in the midst of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) along with Canada. At the same time, Mexican left-wing presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has an 18-point lead ahead of the July 1 election, according to a poll published on Monday. A Lopez Obrador victory could usher in a Mexican government less accommodating toward the United States on both trade and immigration issues.

 

Mexican Senator Angelica de la Pena, who presides over the Senate's human rights commission, told Reuters that Mexico should protect migrants' rights despite the pressure from Trump.  

 

Former President Vicente Fox called for Mexican officials to take a stand against Trump's attacks. Trump keeps "blackmailing, offending and denigrating Mexico and Mexicans," he wrote on Twitter on Monday.

 

Under Mexican law, Central Americans who enter Mexico legally are generally allowed to move freely through the country, even if their goal is to cross illegally into the United States.

 

'WE'RE SUFFERING’

 

Migrants in the caravan cite a variety of reasons for joining it. Its members are disproportionately from Honduras, which has high levels of violence and has been rocked by political upheaval in recent months following the re-election of U.S.-backed president, Juan Orlando Hernández in an intensely disputed election.

 

Maria Elena Colindres Ortega, a member of caravan and, until January, a member of Congress in Honduras, said she is fleeing the political upheaval at home. “We’ve had to live through fraudulent electoral process,” she said. “We’re suffering a progressive militarization and lack of institutions, and … they’re criminalizing those who protested.”

 

Colindres Ortega, who opposed the ruling party in Honduras, said she spiralled into debt, after serving without pay for the last 18 months of her four-year term. She decided to head north after a fellow congressman from her party put out word on Facebook that a caravan of migrants was gathering in southern Mexico, leaving home with a small bag with necessities and photos of her children.

 

Pueblo Sin Fronteras has helped coordinate migrant caravans for the last several years, though previously they had a maximum of several hundred participants. During the journey members of the organization instruct the migrants about their rights.

 

“We accompany at least those who want to request asylum,” said Alex Mensing, Pueblo Sin Fronteras’ program director. “We help prepare them for the detention process and asylum process before they cross the border, because it’s so difficult for people to have success if they don’t have the information.”

 

Typically, Central Americans have not fared well with U.S. asylum claims, particularly those from Honduras. A Reuters analysis of immigration court data found that Hondurans who come before the court receive deportation orders in more than 83 percent of cases, the highest rate of any nationality. Hondurans also face deportation in Mexico, where immigration data shows that 5,000 Hondurans were deported from Mexico in February alone, the highest number since May 2016.

 

Maunel Padilla, chief of the border patrol’s Rio Grande Valley sector, one of the busiest crossing points on the U.S. Mexico border, said in an interview with Reuters that he worries the caravan could “generate interest for other groups to do the same thing,” but he was not terribly nervous about coping with the group currently travelling.

 

“Not to be flippant,” Padilla said, “but it’s similar numbers to what we are seeing every day pretty much.”

 

(Reporting by Delphine Schrank and Mica Rosenberg; Additional reporting by Dave Graham, Lizbeth Diaz, Diego Ore and Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Sue Horton and Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-03

[samran]

Well, after all that The Donald has said about Mexicans and mexico, it’s the least they can do for him...

[Anak Nakal]

If I Mexico, I drive to border to help. Ha!

[bendejo]

Business idea: Port-a-Wall, same concept as Port-a-Potty

 

 

[Benmart]

4 hours ago, samran said:

Well, after all that The Donald has said about Mexicans and mexico, it’s the least they can do for him...

The reference to "The Donald" reveals a lack of respect for an elected official, which is on the same level as some of his inept comments.

 

I may not like some of his actions, but I respect the office, if not the office holder.

[kamahele]

1 hour ago, Benmart said:

The reference to "The Donald" reveals a lack of respect for an elected official, which is on the same level as some of his inept comments.

 

I may not like some of his actions, but I respect the office, if not the office holder.

This makes no sense.

[Baerboxer]

7 hours ago, samran said:

Well, after all that The Donald has said about Mexicans and mexico, it’s the least they can do for him...

 

You seriously think they were doing anything to deter them before? 

 

Mexico is one of the most lawless corrupt country on the face of the planet. Mexicans think illegal entry and abode in the US is some sort of entitlement. 

 

Trump may be an utter <deleted> but he's right about the blind eye successive Mexican governments have turned to illegal entry to the US.

[cycolista]

34 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You seriously think they were doing anything to deter them before? 

 

Mexico is one of the most lawless corrupt country on the face of the planet. Mexicans think illegal entry and abode in the US is some sort of entitlement. 

 

Trump may be an utter <deleted> but he's right about the blind eye successive Mexican governments have turned to illegal entry to the US.

Maybe they are trying to reclaim what was once taken from them.

[Sir Dude]

On this one, I don't really see why this is a US problem and it seems that these Central Americans think they are entitled to enter the US as and when they please. Trump and the US has every right to say "No <deleted> way Jose." Places like Europe and the US cannot simply absorb every single person that rocks up at the border with a hard luck case...ludicrous to think so. However, the longer all this silly left-liberal nonsense goes on, the quicker they will facilitate  the rise of what they fear the most....the right. It's already started. The very fact that someone like Trump can even be voted in, in the first place, shows how terribly wrong the status quo is. Trump was probably more than likely voted in due to the American people being so fed up with the Democrats as opposed to really liking Trump...which is pretty sad.

Edited April 3, 2018 by Sir Dude

[VillageIdiot]

2 hours ago, cycolista said:

Maybe they are trying to reclaim what was once taken from them.

Good point.

Let them join the queue behind the Native Americans.

[ujayujay]

6 hours ago, Benmart said:

The reference to "The Donald" reveals a lack of respect for an elected official, which is on the same level as some of his inept comments.

 

I may not like some of his actions, but I respect the office, if not the office holder.

Cool down, he talks about Donald Duck. The Other One you mean, is "The Loser"

[EVENKEEL]

11 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

Cool down, he talks about Donald Duck. The Other One you mean, is "The Loser"

Wrong again, the loser is HRC.

[mettech]

Trump has a way to do business if it is not profitable for him he shove the result to Canada send the illegals up there and young Justin do not know what to do with this problem , so it work good for the great US of A.

[EVENKEEL]

4 minutes ago, mettech said:

Trump has a way to do business if it is not profitable for him he shove the result to Canada send the illegals up there and young Justin do not know what to do with this problem , so it work good for the great US of A.

Perhaps the illegals could be met at the border with food, water and comfortable transportation to Canadian border. Now, that would be great.

[samran]

6 hours ago, Benmart said:

The reference to "The Donald" reveals a lack of respect for an elected official, which is on the same level as some of his inept comments.

 

I may not like some of his actions, but I respect the office, if not the office holder.

Since when is one suppose to have automatic respect? You can tug forelocks if you want. Doesn’t mean I have to. 

[ThaiFelix]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Honduras, which has high levels of violence and has been rocked by political upheaval in recent months following the re-election of U.S.-backed president, Juan Orlando Hernández in an intensely disputed election.

 

Maria Elena Colindres Ortega, a member of caravan and, until January, a member of Congress in Honduras, said she is fleeing the political upheaval at home. “We’ve had to live through fraudulent electoral process,” she said. “We’re suffering a progressive militarization and lack of institutions, and … they’re criminalizing those who protested.”

The US brings this on themselves by interfering in another country's elections causing instability and then wonder why so many refugees are knocking on their door. Som nom na!  (servers you right).

[Tug]

He is watching to much Fox News have you ever seen a north bound train in Mexico?nothing new just trump baiting his base I have worked with Mexicans over the years and have found them to be religious and strongly family orintated A strong work ethic just the kind of people I want on my team the kind of people that make America great.his catch and release comment would be more aucerate if he said catch and deport go flush yourself Donald 

[Trouble]

You can all make light of this situation, and the PC liberals can feel sorry and want them let in, but if everyone who wants into the USA was allowed to do so, most of Africa, the Middle East and Latin America might just be empty.  Where does it stop?   27% of California residents are foreign born as of 2015. Of course the percentages are higher in places like Los Angeles. Seems like there are more immigrants in LA than the native born anymore.  It's caused havoc in the schools, for social services, medical services, etc. because the majority of the immigrants all qualify for benefits whether they are here legally or illegally.  So I say when the caravan hits the border turn on the fire hoses to keep them out.  If I wanted to live in a third world Latin America, I would move there.  No, I am not anti immigration or anti latino, I'm just tired of an unregulated immigration system and it would be nice if America retained a little of it's own identity.

[Ks45672]

1 hour ago, Trouble said:

You can all make light of this situation, and the PC liberals can feel sorry and want them let in, but if everyone who wants into the USA was allowed to do so, most of Africa, the Middle East and Latin America might just be empty.  Where does it stop?   27% of California residents are foreign born as of 2015. Of course the percentages are higher in places like Los Angeles. Seems like there are more immigrants in LA than the native born anymore.  It's caused havoc in the schools, for social services, medical services, etc. because the majority of the immigrants all qualify for benefits whether they are here legally or illegally.  So I say when the caravan hits the border turn on the fire hoses to keep them out.  If I wanted to live in a third world Latin America, I would move there.  No, I am not anti immigration or anti latino, I'm just tired of an unregulated immigration system and it would be nice if America retained a little of it's own identity.

Easy to say when you didn't grow up on the wrong side of the border in a third world shithole 

[EVENKEEL]

1 minute ago, Ks45672 said:

Easy to say when you didn't grow up on the wrong side of the border in a third world shithole 

Not my problem. Being invaded by illegal aliens is my problem and concern.

[Jingthing]

Just "trump" doing his demagogue twitter liar dance again. Look at the shiny object and look away from the REAL problems.

 

 

Quote

 

Trump’s immigration tweetstorm is a lesson in fact-free fearmongering

And his ideas would only threaten the American economy.

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S failure to secure funding for his new “beautiful” border wall has prodded him to new flights of rhetorical excess and deviation from fact. In the latest iteration, the president denounces Democrats and Mexicans for what he calls a “dangerous” immigration flow. The truth is that illegal entry at the southwest border is at its lowest level in nearly half a century.

 

 

 

http://www.paywallnews.com/life/Opinion-|-Trump’s-immigration-tweetstorm-is-a-lesson-in-fact-free-fearmongering.HJ4aMD9Zof.html

 

 

[kannot]

12 hours ago, VillageIdiot said:

Good point.

Let them join the queue behind the Native Americans.

No no no  Neanderthals were there first so they should rightly be allowed in.........plenty  still alive in Thailand I reckon

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2129042-first-americans-may-have-been-neanderthals-130000-years-ago/

[EVENKEEL]

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Just "trump" doing his demagogue twitter liar dance again. Look at the shiny object and look away from the REAL problems.

 

 

 

 

http://www.paywallnews.com/life/Opinion-|-Trump’s-immigration-tweetstorm-is-a-lesson-in-fact-free-fearmongering.HJ4aMD9Zof.html

 

 

I would respectfully like to add that it is my belief Border Security is a very real problem. One that Trump is battling.

[VillageIdiot]

16 hours ago, cycolista said:

Maybe they are trying to reclaim what was once taken from them.

 

14 hours ago, VillageIdiot said:

Good point.

Let them join the queue behind the Native Americans.

 

1 hour ago, kannot said:

No no no  Neanderthals were there first so they should rightly be allowed in.........plenty  still alive in Thailand I reckon

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2129042-first-americans-may-have-been-neanderthals-130000-years-ago/

So be it.

Stand aside... Neanderthals to the front of the queue.

They couldn't make the US any worse than it is now.

[attrayant]

4 hours ago, Trouble said:

if everyone who wants into the USA was allowed to do so, most of Africa, the Middle East and Latin America might just be empty.

 

Who said that everyone who wants in should be let in?

 

 

Quote

27% of California residents are foreign born as of 2015. Of course the percentages are higher in places like Los Angeles. Seems like there are more immigrants in LA than the native born anymore.  It's caused havoc in the schools, for social services, medical services, etc. because the majority of the immigrants all qualify for benefits whether they are here legally or illegally.

 

That majority is paying for them, too.  And if they really are here illegally, many are not filing tax returns and therefore not claiming any potential refunds due to them.  On the other hand, the other half ARE trying to play by the rules:
 

Why undocumented immigrants pay taxes

 

But why would millions of undocumented immigrants file their tax returns if they could easily fly under the radar?  "First of all, it's the law," said Jose Magaña-Salgado, a policy attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. "And these undocumented immigrants are trying to abide by the law and are fulfilling their civic and financial responsibilities."

 

Seems like a net benefit for the state.

 

 

Quote

So I say when the caravan hits the border turn on the fire hoses to keep them out.

 

Sorry, but we have to follow our own laws.  Call that politically correct liberalism, if you like.

 

Quote

No, I am not anti immigration

 

I guess I misinterpreted that "turn the fire hose on them" remark.  Many of them are asylum seekers.  Our current immigration and/or border protection laws require that we at least hear their case before rejecting them.  If you object to that, then by definition you are anti-immigration.

 

 

Quote

I'm just tired of an unregulated immigration system

 

The current immigration system is regulated.  There are loads upon loads of laws regulating it.

 

 

Quote

it would be nice if America retained a little of it's [sic] own identity.

 

First you have to define what "America's identity" is.  It's probably not what you think it is.  Here's a free class at Coursera that you can enroll in. 

 

Race and Cultural Diversity in American Life and History

 

Quote

About this course: Learners will deepen their understanding and appreciation of ways in which race, ethnicity and cultural diversity have shaped American institutions, ideology, law, and social relationships from the colonial era to the present. Race and ethnicity are ideological and cultural categories that include all groups and individuals. Hence, this course is designed in significant part to take a broad look at the ideology of race and cultural diversity in America’s past and present. The primary focus is on the historical and social relationships among European Americans, Native Americans, African Americans, Latino/as, and Asian/Pacific Americans. Issues of race and ethnicity are examined across different ethno-cultural traditions in order to interweave diverse experiences into a larger synthesis of the meaning of race and ethnicity in American life. In this course, we conceive of “race” and “diversity” as references to the entire American population, even as we recognize that different groups have unique historical experiences resulting in distinctive and even fundamental cultural differences. We treat race and ethnicity as dynamic, complex ideological and cultural processes that shape all social institutions, belief systems, inter-group relationships, and individual experiences.

 

*WARNING: education may seriously damage ignorance and fatally weaken solipsistic tendencies.  Pursue at the risk of obtaining a broader understanding of more than just you and your immediate personal space.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2018 by attrayant

[Jingthing]

Fear of caravans.

Whip it up, "trump," USA, USA, USA. Red meat / red hat rallies forever.

What's next?

Fear of the holes in donuts?

This is madness. It's sick that he still has any supporters.

 

 

 

Quote

 

Trump’s quixotic quest to bash immigration

 

President Trump is unwittingly taking a page from Cervantes. Don Quixote, the titular character of the Spanish novelist's legendary book, famously sallies forth on his bedraggled nag to fight a set of "monstrous giants." He doesn't listen to the note of caution from his bemused sidekick, Sancho Panza: "What you see over there aren't giants — they're windmills; and what seems to be arms are the sails that rotate the millstone when they're turned by the wind."Likewise, Trump seems more and more intent on tilting at the monstrous giants of his imagination.

 

 

 

http://www.paywallnews.com/news/Analysis-|-Trump’s-quixotic-quest-to-bash-immigration.HkmzBlkMif.html

[Jingthing]

Caravans, Schmaravans.

 

It's just "trump" doing his demagogue dance. It's a shame that any Americans still follow him.

 

Quote

 

Once again, Trump uses xenophobia to whip up his base.

...

Like many a would-be authoritarian before him, Trump ignores the real threats that his country faces, preferring to manufacture nonexistent crises that enable him to play on popular prejudice to consolidate his own power.

 

 

http://www.paywallnews.com/life/Opinion-|-The-‘caravan’-of-migrants-is-not-a-threat--But-Trump-would-rather-ignore-real-crises-.H1l7WJy7oM.html

[EVENKEEL]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Caravans, Schmaravans.

 

It's just "trump" doing his demagogue dance. It's a shame that any Americans still follow him.

 

 

http://www.paywallnews.com/life/Opinion-|-The-‘caravan’-of-migrants-is-not-a-threat--But-Trump-would-rather-ignore-real-crises-.H1l7WJy7oM.html

We finally have a president who is addressing the issue of illegal aliens at our southern border with diligence.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

We finally have a president who is addressing the issue of illegal aliens at our southern border with diligence.

No he's addressing it by being the biggest twitter troll in history. 

Edited April 5, 2018 by Jingthing

[EVENKEEL]

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

No he's addressing it by being the biggest twitter troll in history. 

It's obvious that one side believes Trump can do no right no matter what. I don't follow Trump's tweets or anybody else's for that matter.