Cry of desperation on the southern border of Mexico.
This is the city of Tapachula, where migrants crossing from Guatemala are demanding humanitarian visas.
Mexico’s national guard is being deployed in full riot gear. Guatemala and Honduras have now announced that they will deploy their own troops, after news broke that new caravans of migrants were forming in Central America, with the ultimate goal of reaching the United States.
“We just want them to give us an answer,” said this woman, who is originally from Cuba. We just want answers without apologies. ‘
This man, also from Cuba, says: “No one will leave until we get answers to see what happens to us.”
The new caravans that were formed attracted the attention of U.S. officials, who called on the Central American countries to stop them.
In recent years, many migrants have chosen to act in massive caravans instead of moving alone because they remain in a group to protect them from criminals who will prey on them.
Luis Rey Garcia Villagran works for the city’s Migrant Support Center.
“Human mobility has to do with the serious problems that occur in their countries and that is why people are moving more than ever. (…) People are literally drowning. The problems of injustice, the problems of insecurity continue as well as problems with organized gangs that people who get caught and killed over there. ‘
On Friday (January 8), a federal court in California blocked a final attempt by the outgoing Trump administration to dramatically further harden the U.S. asylum system.
It would have cut off most access to migrants reaching the border and generally denied some types of asylum claims, including domestic abuse and gang violence.
Video transcription
– Cry of desperation on the southern border of Mexico.
– (ON MEGAPHONE) [SPEAKING SPANISH]
– This is the city of Tapachula, where migrants crossing from Guatemala are demanding humanitarian visas. Mexico’s national guard is being deployed in full riot gear. And Guatemala and Honduras have also now announced that they are deploying their own troops after news broke that new caravans of migrants were 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 the Cuban woman. “We just want answers without apologies.”
– [SPEAKING SPANISH]
– This man, also from Cuba, says: “No one will leave until we get answers to see what happens to us.”
The new caravans that were formed attracted the attention of U.S. officials, who called on the Central American countries to stop them. In recent years, many migrants have chosen to form into massive caravans instead of moving alone because they stay in a group to protect them from criminals who will prey on them.
Luis Rey Garcia Villagran works for the city’s Migrant Support Center.
LUIS REY GARCIA VILLAGRAN: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
INTERPRETER: Human mobility has to do with the serious problems that occur 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 people who get over there.
– On Friday, a federal court in California blocked a final attempt by the outgoing Trump administration to dramatically further harden the U.S. asylum system. It would cut off most access to migrants reaching the border and generally deny some types of asylum claims, including domestic abuse and gang violence.