Trump threatens to send military, shut border as migrants head for Mexico

By Susan Heavey and Sofia Menchu

 

A Honduran migrant, part of a caravan trying to reach the U.S., climbs on a truck during a new leg of their travel in Escuintla, Guatemala October 18, 2018. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

 

WASHINGTON/GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the military and close the southern U.S. border on Thursday as Hondurans and Salvadorans joined thousands of migrants in Guatemala hoping to travel north.

 

"I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught - and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

 

Several thousand Honduran migrants moved this week through Guatemala, and some were trying to cross to Mexico on Thursday, according to local media. Some hope to eventually enter the United States to escape violence and poverty in Central America.

 

Central American migrants hiked from Honduras through muddy jungle and residential streets, some toting babies along with backpacks, Reuters images show.

 

In Guatemala City, where migrant shelters filled with people, waves of people departed at daybreak on roads leading to Mexico. The nearest border is about 110 miles (177 km) away.

 

"If we don't get across, we're going to try the same thing again," said Gustavo Perez, a builder from Honduras, speaking at a shelter in Guatemala City.

 

"We hope that in this big caravan group, they let us in," he added, referring to the United States.

 

Mexico's peso weakened more than 1.5 percent against the dollar on Thursday, partly driven by Trump's comments, analysts said.

 

ELECTION ISSUE

Trump, who has sought to curtail immigration and build a border wall on the Mexican border, this week threatened to halt aid if Central American governments did not act.

 

Trump ran for president in 2016 on promises to toughen U.S. immigration policies and build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

 

Illegal immigration is likely to be a top issue in Nov. 6 U.S. congressional elections. Republicans seeking to retain control of the House of Representatives will likely present the migrant caravan as evidence of what they say is a need to further tighten the U.S.-Mexico border.

 

Frustrated by Congress' failure to fully fund his proposed wall at the border with Mexico, Trump in April ordered National Guard personnel to help secure the border in four southwestern U.S. states.

 

In a string of tweets on Thursday, Trump also said the border issue was more important to him than the new trade deal with Mexico to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement pact.

 

"The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA. Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border," Trump wrote. He was referring to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is awaiting ratification.

 

U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said U.S. border security was a key election issue.

 

"We have to secure that border once and for all," McCaul told Fox News in an interview, adding that he hoped Congress could tackle the issue of Trump's planned wall after the Nov. 6 election.

 

The caravan has been growing steadily since it left the violent Honduran city of San Pedro Sula on Saturday. There are no official estimates of the size of the group.

 

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said on Wednesday his government dismissed threatened constraints placed on foreign aid.

 

He said he had spoken with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez about ensuring the migrants who want to return home can do so safely.

 

Mexico's incoming foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, told local radio that he was not surprised by Trump's comments, and said it was political.

 

"It was predictable, and it's also very close to the election. He's making a political calculation," Ebrard said, adding that migrants arriving to Mexico without a visa would need to apply for refugee status.

 

Mexico's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to meet with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City on Friday.

 

(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, Sofia Menchu, Edgard Garrido and Miguel Angel Gutierrez; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-19

I love this guy. I hope he does it. I would love to see those false refugees  Stuck in Mexico. The world would see how well they would be dealt with by the Mexicans for making this problem.

Well, let's hope Trump does not become the Angela Merkel of North America.....

 

And let's not forget that prominent Dems (H. Clinton, B. Obama and C. Schurmer) voted (2006??) for a "fence" on the border with Mexico when George Dubya introduced legislation to keep out illegal aliens.

 

See also: https://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2018/jun/27/cal-thomas/did-hillary-clinton-support-border-wall-mexico/

Mr Trump, just do it.

 

Just because certain countries turn themselves into hell holes, it's not the responsibilities of western countries to take those that want a better life. They should stay home and sort their own country out.

I live in constant fear that Trump will deport my latina mother-in-law who lives at 1837 3rd st, LA 90023 blue house. She gets off work at 6. 10:50 AM

Not only build the wall..but electrify it...10,000 volts or more. 

 

33 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Just because certain countries turn themselves into hell holes,

 

We've helped a bit. I mean with turning these countries into hell-holes.

1 minute ago, mtls2005 said:

 

We've helped a bit. I mean with turning these countries into hell-holes.

And how did "we" turn Honduras and El Salvador into "hell-holes" ?

20 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

I live in constant fear that Trump will deport my latina mother-in-law who lives at 1837 3rd st, LA 90023 blue house. She gets off work at 6. 10:50 AM

 

You forgot her photo and plates.  ???? 

 

Thanks for the laugh.

Why do presidents. prime ministers and officials from other countries sound so much smarter than US executive office holders?

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

And how did "we" turn Honduras and El Salvador into "hell-holes" ?

Read a history book.

Just now, ReMarKable said:

Read a history book.

I would prefer if you would just tell me .

2 minutes ago, ReMarKable said:

Why do presidents. prime ministers and officials from other countries sound so much smarter than US executive office holders?

I dont know , Why do presidents. prime ministers and officials from other countries sound so much smarter than US executive office holders?

2 minutes ago, sanemax said:

I dont know , Why do presidents. prime ministers and officials from other countries sound so much smarter than US executive office holders?

I would prefer you just tell me

9 minutes ago, sanemax said:

And how did "we" turn Honduras and El Salvador into "hell-holes" ?

 

Practice.

 

Sure we're maybe not as bad as colonialists, but we aim to please.

 

By "we" I mean my/our country, the U.S.A.

 

 

2 minutes ago, sanemax said:

And how did "we" turn Honduras and El Salvador into "hell-holes" ?

 

United Fruit Co., the Dulles Bros., CIA, Oscar Romero, four raped and murdered nuns (El Sal., 1980), etc. and etc.  Yeah, the US may not be directly involved in certain incidents, but guess where the funding, training, other support, etc. came from?  It's all about protecting foreign corp. interests.  

 

Check out General Smedley Butler's book, War is a Racket.  

 

And yes, blame should be shared by some Central Americans who wanted a piece of the action.  

 

And now, with one end result being these refugees, maybe the USA should own up to some responsibility.  

2 minutes ago, ReMarKable said:

I would prefer you just tell me

You are telling the joke , you began telling the joke off and I teed you up for the punchline.

Ican not say the punchline to your joke , because I havent heard this joke before .

So, "Why do presidents. prime ministers and officials from other countries sound so much smarter than US executive office holders?"

   I dont know................why do presidents. prime ministers and officials from other countries sound so much smarter than US executive office holders?

 

6 minutes ago, ReMarKable said:

I would prefer you just tell me

 

They are not named Donald J. Trump.

6 minutes ago, helpisgood said:

 

United Fruit Co., the Dulles Bros., CIA, Oscar Romero, four raped and murdered nuns (El Sal., 1980), etc. and etc.  Yeah, the US may not be directly involved in certain incidents, but guess where the funding, training, other support, etc. came from?  It's all about protecting foreign corp. interests.  

 

Check out General Smedley Butler's book, War is a Racket.  

 

And yes, blame should be shared by some Central Americans who wanted a piece of the action.  

 

And now, with one end result being these refugees, maybe the USA should own up to some responsibility.  

 

Oh, it's mcambl61 again with the easy clicking of a sad emoticon.  How about instead writing a rationale backing up your sadness?  

Edited October 19, 20187 yr by helpisgood
typo

I'm amazed at how well organized these organizations are that threaten my countries sovereignty! This is all coordinated and been in the making for months. I fear 5k today and 20k next month! This is it! This is how the far left finally get's away with taking down my country!I wish there was something I could do,other than vote!

Central America's Migrant Caravan

The migrant caravan which has prompted the U.S. government to threaten aid cuts to Central America is representative of humanitarian problems in the region, and is not a security threat.

 https://www.wola.org/

15 minutes ago, helpisgood said:

 

United Fruit Co., the Dulles Bros., CIA, Oscar Romero, four raped and murdered nuns (El Sal., 1980), etc. and etc.  Yeah, the US may not be directly involved in certain incidents, but guess where the funding, training, other support, etc. came from?  It's all about protecting foreign corp. interests.  

Check out General Smedley Butler's book, War is a Racket.  

And yes, blame should be shared by some Central Americans who wanted a piece of the action.  

And now, with one end result being these refugees, maybe the USA should own up to some responsibility.  

Every Country is responsible for themselves and solely responsible for their own situation and people from one Country cannot just walk into another Country without going through the process of getting permission 

13 minutes ago, riclag said:

This is all coordinated and been in the making for months.

 

George Soros-funded, right?

 

15 minutes ago, riclag said:

I fear

 

Mission Accomplished.

 

16 minutes ago, riclag said:

I wish there was something I could do,other than vote!

 

Defend the Homeland?

27 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Every Country is responsible for themselves and solely responsible for their own situation and people from one Country cannot just walk into another Country without going through the process of getting permission 

 

This is a rather simplistic, almost child-like, view of the world, but right in line with the "Trump Doctrine".

 

I honestly don't even know what to make of such a statement. We have joint defense agreements with many, many, many, many countries, for a reason.

 

 

11 minutes ago, helpisgood said:

 

Are you serious?  

 

So, a much weaker country gets pushed around or even invaded and conquered by another country, and you blame the weaker country?  Okay, so Poland gets invaded by Nazi Germany.  Who cares?  The Poles deserved it?  And, pin the blame of the bombing of Guernica on the Spanish people?

 

There are many incidents of the US govt. meddling with the politics and societies in Central America (and the rest of Latin America).  So, the fact that El Salvador, e.g., is a much smaller nation is their own fault, and they deserve the atrocities that were visited on them?  The USA can just wash their hands of any misdeeds because of they are not "responsible"?  Sure, you tell to that the survivors of those who were killed in the process.  

You are correct.  I lived in Guatemala for awhile and united fruit's interests in Guatemala were protected by the overthrow of the President of Guatemala at the time. 

6 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

This is a rather simplistic, almost child-like, view of the world, but right in line with the "Trump Doctrine".

 

I honestly don't even know what to make of such a statement. We have joint defense agreements with many, many, many, many countries, for a reason.

 

 

You must understand , these forums are limited in discussion , I would need a book to explain what I mean , but I condense that into a few sentences , hence the simplistic nature .

  You do have joint defence agreements with numerous countries , but that doesnt give the citizens of those countries the right to walk to the USA and go and live there .

Just now, ReMarKable said:

As my grandfather used to say; consider the source and ignore it.

I wasnt ignoring it , I just feel that Poland getting invaded 80 years ago by the Nazis is going off topic and any discussion of that will get deleted .

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

I deleted all your off-topic post about World War 2 , as I consider it to be off-topic and irrelevant .

   Do fill me in on history : What are the "atrocities" that the USA inflicted upon El Salvador ?

   I also can not tell anything to the "survivors of those that were killed" , because there would be no survivors of people that were killed

 

They were not off topic.  I was applying your principles, as you claim support your opinion of the OP, to more well-known examples to better demonstrate their amorality.  You are just running away from admitting that they are obviously absurd.  

 

As for El Salvador, the US meddling there is so well-known that you can easily do it yourself.  As I have stated above, trace what happened to Oscar Romero and those four nuns just for starters.  Don't forget: Follow the money!  It's all about protecting US foreign investments.

 

Oh, and read General Butler's book that I have mentioned above.    

33 minutes ago, sanemax said:

You must understand , these forums are limited in discussion , I would need a book to explain what I mean , but I condense that into a few sentences , hence the simplistic nature .

  You do have joint defence agreements with numerous countries , but that doesnt give the citizens of those countries the right to walk to the USA and go and live there .

 

If you cannot summarize it fairly and accurately, then why go through the trouble of misrepresenting it?  Of course, that's assuming what you are trying to say does make sense.  

Edited October 19, 20187 yr by helpisgood
typo

I thought they had the world's longest wall to keep them thar foreigners out?

 

During the last US election, I said to my American friend I hoped that Trump would win. Nothing to do with politics whatsoever, but purely for the entertainment value he would provide.

I've not been disappointed so far.

 

1 hour ago, ReMarKable said:

Why do presidents. prime ministers and officials from other countries sound so much smarter than US executive office holders?

Smarter? do you mean Duterte?