Posted on October 19, 2018

First Group from Honduran Caravan Crosses into Mexico, Testing President Trump’s Red Line

Julia Ainsley, NBC News, October 19, 2018

The U.S. government is now tracking a small group of immigrants from the Honduran migrant caravan who crossed into southern Mexico on Thursday night, {snip}.

The breakaway group crossed over the Succhiate River separating Guatemala and Mexico, according to an internal U.S. document obtained by NBC News. They are soon to be followed by a group of 2,000-3,000 migrants who have congregated in Guatemalan border town of Tecun Uman, which is located about 25 miles south of Tapachula, Mexico.

The group of migrants, gathered in the town’s central park, were preparing to make a decision by early afternoon about how to enter Mexico. Among the options: cross Tecun Uman’s border bridge by foot and face detention or try to make it across the Succhiate River undetected.

{snip}

A separate group of roughly 500 migrants are expected to join the others later Friday. Another large caravan of roughly 1,000 Hondurans recently crossed into El Salvador as they make their way north.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Trump raised pressure on Mexico “to stop this onslaught,” adding “if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!”

{snip}

Their travel patterns could trigger a crackdown on the border by the Trump administration. Senior administration officials say Trump is “dead serious” about taking drastic measures, including sealing the border, but is likely to hold off until after the Nov. 6 midterms. The first wave of the caravan is due to reach the United Stated border just around that time.