Despite Trump's presidency, a new migrant caravan is heading towards the border.
The 2,000-person caravan of migrants believes they will still be able to enter the US.
A caravan of over 2,000 migrants left southern Mexico just hours before President Donald Trump's inauguration, intending to enter the U.S.
A caravan of people from different countries marched through Tapachula, a southern Mexican city near the Guatemalan border, in the early hours of Monday. The migrants carried bags and rucksacks while parents pushed children in strollers or carried them on their shoulders.
An adult migrant would need 16 days of continuous walking to reach the southern border, according to Border Report, making this caravan the tenth-largest to leave Tapachula since the U.S. election.
Despite Trump's executive orders on Monday restricting illegal immigration and declaring a national border emergency, the caravan continues its journey.
Trump ordered the resumption of construction of the border wall, which had been mostly inactive under the Biden administration, and ended the use of the CBP One app for paroling migrants into the U.S. under Biden-era policies.
Erkin Torres, a migrant from Colombia who is part of the caravan, stated that he believes that Trump's actions cannot override the United Nations' rights, implying that he has the right to apply for asylum.
As Donald Trump assumes power, he cannot surpass the United Nations, Torres stated to Reuters.
"The world supports us because we share a common goal: to achieve economic stability and provide a better future for our children."
Despite the CBP One app going offline, Maria Leidis from Cuba, another migrant, stated that the new U.S. government will still offer a pathway for migrants to enter the U.S.
""Although we're disappointed that our goal of entering is unattainable because they won't let us in, we believe that we'll find another way through the CBP One application and eventually enter," she said to Reuters."
Caravans of migrants are formed to increase their chances of safety, as immigration agents find it difficult to detain large groups of hundreds of migrants. Some hope to hitchhike, while others will make the grueling journey on foot in the scorching heat to reach the southern border.
The Mexican government has been attempting to break up caravans, but many break apart after only a few days of walking. Trump has promised to impose massive tariffs on Mexico if it fails to stop the influx.
Migrants were stranded at various locations along the Mexican side of the southern border while waiting for an appointment via the app.
Trump also reinstated the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which required migrants to remain in Mexico during their asylum hearings, a policy from his first term that was canceled by the Biden administration.
U.S. Northern Command directed troops to be deployed to the border to prioritize border and territorial integrity in strategic planning.
President Trump designated international cartels and organizations, including MS-13 and the bloodthirsty Tren de Aragua, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). This designation enables targeted action against members, including financial penalties.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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