Morale appears to be eroding inside the migrant caravans pushing toward the United States, with members dropping out to return home, some opting to try their luck in Mexico and others demanding “safe and dignified transport,” as the endless walking begins to take its toll.
The first of the three caravans attempting the journey is still at least 1,000 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. A Fox News crew traveling with the leading caravan Tuesday observed migrants standing on a bridge outside of the town of Niltepec, hoping to get rides in vehicles, while others looked to get on board buses that lined up.
That caravan is estimated to contain 4,000 people — but the number is slowly shrinking as weary travelers drop out or apply for protected status in Mexico, spurring the caravan’s leaders to make the request for help with transportation to Mexico’s capital, according to the Associated Press.
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Both President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security have confirmed the presence of gang members inside the caravan, and as the days become weeks, reports of infighting between travelers have come out. Migrants from El Salvador reportedly beat a Guatamalan man after mistaking him for a kidnapper. The rising tensions prompted caravan leaders to call for a rest day and institute a “security committee,” the Arizona Republic reported, another sign the unrest is not limited to rare altercations.
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Migrants in the leading caravan are planning Tuesday to walk to Juchitan, a trek of some 32 miles from their starting point this morning, the Associated Press reports.
They were observed by a Fox News crew yesterday getting help in the form of rides offered by trucks and other vehicles.
Ramiro Nolasco, the mayor of Zanatepec, said locals there Monday organized a bus and several trucks to carry caravan members.
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El Salvador’s immigration agency, meanwhile, said a group of Salvadorans including several dozen children and adolescents – the third caravan — crossed legally into Guatemala on Sunday and numbered about 500.
Much farther north on Monday, near the Hidalgo border crossing along Mexico’s border with Arizona, Mexico’s Interior Department said in a statement that two Hondurans ages 17 and 22 were arrested when one of them tried to shoot at police in the town of Ignacio Zaragoza. It said the Glock failed to fire, and no agents were injured.
