Central American migrants vow to wait at the border until they can be processed by U.S. officials

Migrants who came in caravan still don&#039;t have asylum.

(Image credit: Bill Wechter/Getty Images)

published 30 April 2018

None of the migrants in the caravan that traveled from Central America to the U.S. border have been granted asylum, CNN reported Monday.

The group, made up of Honduran, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran migrants fleeing violence and unrest in Central America, arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday. Border patrol officials have not processed any of the travelers, ABC News reports, saying that the port of entry has "reached capacity." Instead, about 100 migrants spent the night sleeping outside at the San Ysidro port of entry to await consideration for asylum.

President Trump has attacked the migrants, tweeting last week that he had instructed Homeland Security officials to deny them entry. "It is a disgrace," Trump wrote. "We are the only country in the world so naive! WALL." During a Saturday rally in Michigan, Trump again referenced his wish for stricter border security. "Are you watching that mess that's going on right now with the caravan coming up?" he said. "Our laws are so weak, they're so pathetic."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

The group began with around 400 travelers, who dispersed as the caravan traveled through Mexico. The remaining members, made up mostly of mothers and children, vowed to keep waiting at San Ysidro until they can be legally processed. CNN reports that the migrants say they don't plan to illegally sneak across the border, opting instead to plead their case to law enforcement officials as international law requires.

Explore More

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox