Screams of despair on the southern border of Mexico.
This is the city of Tapachula, where migrants who have passed from Guatemala require humanitarian visas.
Mexico’s national guard is stationed with all the riot gear. Guatemala and Honduras announced that they are sending their own troops, after news has emerged that new caravans of migrants are forming in Central America with the ultimate goal of reaching the United States.
“We just want them to give us an answer,” says this woman, who is originally from Cuba. “We just want answers, no excuses.”
This man, also from Cuba, says: “Nobody is going to leave until we have some answers, to see what happens to us.”
The new caravans in formation caught the attention of American authorities, who asked Central American countries to stop them.
In recent years, many migrants have opted to form huge caravans instead of walking alone, because staying in a group helps to protect them from the criminals who are chasing them.
Luis Rey Garcia Villagran works for the immigrant support center in the city.
“Human mobility has to do with the serious problems that are occurring in their countries and that is why people are moving more than ever. (…) People are literally drowning. Problems with injustice, problems with insecurity continue as well as problems with organized gangs that capture and kill people who are there. “
On Friday (January 8), a California federal court blocked a last outgoing Trump administration effort to further tighten the U.S. asylum system.
It would have cut off much of the access for migrants arriving at the border and would have largely denied certain types of asylum applications, including domestic violence and gang violence.
Video transcription
– Screams of despair on the southern border of Mexico.
– (ON MEGAPHONE) [SPEAKING SPANISH]
– This is the city of Tapachula, where migrants who have passed from Guatemala require humanitarian visas. Mexico’s national guard is stationed with all the riot gear. And Guatemala and Honduras also announced that they are sending their own troops after news has emerged that new migrant caravans are forming in Central America, with the ultimate goal of reaching the United States.
– [SPEAKING SPANISH]
– “We just want them to give us an answer,” said this woman, who is Cuban. “We just want answers without excuses.”
– [SPEAKING SPANISH]
– This man, also from Cuba, says: “Nobody is leaving until we have some answers to see what happens to us.”
The new caravans in formation caught the attention of US officials, who asked Central American countries to stop them. In recent years, many migrants have opted to form huge caravans instead of walking alone, because staying in a group helps to protect them from the criminals who are chasing them.
Luis Rey Garcia Villagran works for the immigrant support center in the city.
LUIS REY GARCIA VILLAGRAN: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
INTERPRETER: Human mobility has to do with the serious problems that are occurring in their countries. And that’s why people are moving more than ever. People are literally drowning. The problems with injustice, the problems with insecurity continue, as well as the problems with organized gangs that capture and kill the people who are there.
– On Friday, a California federal court blocked a last outgoing Trump administration effort to drastically harden the U.S. asylum system even further. It would have cut off much of the access for migrants who arrive at the border and widely deny certain types of asylum applications, including domestic violence and gang violence.