Coinciding with the U.S. elections that will determine the next president for the 2025-2029 term, two migrant caravans, including Cubans, set out from southern Mexico, aiming to reach the northern border. According to the Mexican newspaper La Jornada, the larger group departed from Tapachula, consisting of around 2,500 individuals from Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Meanwhile, a smaller contingent of roughly 500 people began their journey from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of Chiapas.
"We planned this for today so that the governments of Mexico and the United States notice us. We are a working class striving to achieve our dream of reaching the U.S. with legal migration plans and job opportunities," stated Heyson Díaz, a Venezuelan migrant.
Path to Mexico City: A Strategic Stop
Regarding the caravan originating from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Luis García Villagrán, director of the Center for Human Dignity, mentioned that their destination is Mexico City, with a scheduled stop in Arriaga, a coastal town in Chiapas, to join forces with the group from Tapachula. After gathering there, the caravan will proceed to Juchitán, Oaxaca, where they will hold a meeting to determine the safest route to the capital, avoiding traffickers and extortionists.
"People are scared, yet many will proceed in a 'ant operation' manner," noted García Villagrán. He also highlighted that the caravan includes migrants from Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Cuba, among others.
Cubans Among Those Seeking Asylum
Recently, it was revealed that hundreds of migrants, including Cubans, have been overwhelming the offices of the National Institute of Migration (INM) in Mexico's southern border region. They are attempting to expedite and verify their CBP One appointments to apply for asylum in the U.S. César Augusto Cañaveral Pérez, head of the Human Mobility Pastoral in Tapachula, informed the EFE agency that the migrants are predominantly from Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, though other nationalities are present as well.
Diverging Immigration Policies in U.S. Elections
In the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump present starkly different immigration policies. Harris's approach involves enhancing border security while maintaining some restrictive asylum policies from the Biden administration, such as increasing Border Patrol agents and tightening asylum processes to curb illegal crossings. Additionally, she supports comprehensive immigration reform, facilitating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented individuals, emphasizing family reunification and offering regularization opportunities.
Conversely, Trump advocates for more stringent control measures. His platform promises the largest mass deportation in U.S. history, targeting the over 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country.