Donald Trump can’t wait to be sworn into office. There’s just one problem with that.
Because Joe Biden has a disaster prepared to blow up in Trump’s face on inauguration day.
There were concerns when Donald Trump won that there would be surges of immigrants with dubious claims of asylum reaching the southern border of the United States before Donald Trump is inaugurated and given the power to start addressing the border crisis. Those concerns are well-founded, apparently, because that’s exactly what’s happening.
At least one large group of immigrants are trying to ruin Donald Trump’s inauguration day and make his life that much more difficult on day one in the Oval Office by reaching the southern border before Trump puts his hand on the Bible. The immigrants are even making it clear that they intentionally want to get to the U.S. before Trump is sworn in because they know he will be tougher on illegal immigration than Kamala Harris would have.
Migrant Caravan Details Plans To Spoil Trump Administration Honeymoon Period
A caravan of approximately 1,500 migrants set off from southern Mexico on Sunday night, making its way north toward the United States. These migrants, seeking to cross the U.S. border before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office next month, are part of a broader movement of individuals hoping to find better opportunities. The caravan includes migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras, many of whom are traveling at night to avoid the intense daytime heat.
This new caravan departs amidst growing pressure from Mexican authorities, who have been actively cracking down on migrant movements. In fact, two other caravans that started heading north last month were recently dismantled by Mexican officials. This effort to break up the caravans seems to be a result of an agreement between the Mexican and U.S. governments. Luis Garcia Villagrán, a migrant rights activist, spoke to the Associated Press last week, suggesting that the crackdown was part of “an agreement between the president of Mexico and the president of the United States.”
Despite these challenges, many of the migrants are resolute in their desire to reach the U.S., hoping for a better life for their families. One Honduran migrant shared their hopes with the AP, saying they are traveling north for “a better life for their families.”
However, some migrants are also concerned about the future of U.S. immigration policies under Trump, especially regarding the CBP One mobile app. The app, launched by President Joe Biden in January 2023, allows up to 1,450 migrants per day to schedule asylum interviews. These migrants fear that Trump might end the app, as he has previously threatened to make large-scale deportations a priority.
Venezuelan migrant Francisco Unda expressed his anxiety about the potential changes, saying, “There are a lot of reports that he has said he is going to do away with CBP One, that there are going to be deportations, the biggest deportations. But you have to have faith in God.”
The President of Mexico quietly ordered police and military units to break up two large illegal migrant caravans that were making their way to the border immediately after President Trump threatened to impose tariffs.
President Sheinbaum has been trying not to admit defeat… pic.twitter.com/dt0Zx3wEgb
— George (@BehizyTweets) December 2, 2024
In recent months, illegal border crossings have significantly decreased, in part due to the Biden administration’s policy of directing border crossers to official ports of entry. At these ports, migrants have been paroled into the U.S. with a quasi-legal status. Additionally, Mexico has played an important role in controlling the flow of migrants by detaining them in southern states, particularly in Tapachula, a city near the Guatemalan border.
The Biden administration has faced intense criticism over the past several months for failing to make these common sense measures that have reduced illegal immigration years ago. In January of this year, President Joe Biden alleged that he had done all he could do without Congressional approval and legislation. As soon as the general election season started to heat up though, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden used executive authority to implement these common sense border security measures.
National-security expert Todd Bensman has warned that Tapachula is “a migrant time bomb ready to go off,” as migrants there grow increasingly frustrated with the lack of work, accommodation, and opportunities. One migrant from El Salvador described the dire situation, saying, “There is no work, no accommodation, no money, and people have been waiting for four to five months and can’t find anything in this city.”
In late November, former President Trump announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada unless the two countries take more aggressive action to combat illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking. Initially, Mexico’s Leftist president, Claudia Sheinbaum, threatened to retaliate with her own tariffs, warning that “to one tariff will come another and so on, until we put our common businesses at risk.”
However, in a surprising turn of events, Trump later reported a “very productive conversation” with Sheinbaum. According to Trump, she agreed to “stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border.” Sheinbaum confirmed the conversation, stating on social media that she had discussed Mexico’s strategy on migration and assured that caravans are no longer reaching the U.S. border because they are being handled within Mexico.
As the situation evolves, it’s worth noting that the caravans that Mexican authorities broke up last month started on November 5, the day Trump was elected. The first caravan, consisting of 2,500 to 3,000 people, traveled approximately 270 miles before being disbanded. Many migrants in this caravan reportedly felt disheartened after learning that Trump had won the election. One Venezuelan migrant told Reuters, “I had hoped Kamala Harris would win.”
The second caravan, which began on November 20, included about 1,500 migrants who traveled roughly 140 miles before Mexican authorities intervened to break it up. As the issue of migration continues to be a focal point in both the U.S. and Mexico, it remains to be seen how future caravans will fare as policies and enforcement mechanisms shift.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
