Matt Picht
Are 'Caravans' A Sustainable Strategy For Migration?
A second group of Central Americans, primarily from El Salvador and Honduras, have arrived in Mexico City on their way to the U.S. border.
LEARN MOREPosted: 5:35 p.m. EST Nov 26, 2018
The caravan of migrants currently waiting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border isn't just testing the U.S. border — it's also putting a major strain on Mexico.
An estimated 5,000 migrants are currently staying in the border town of Tijuana; most of them eventually plan to seek asylum in the U.S. But for now the city says it's spending around $27,000 a day just to provide shelter to the migrants.
The migrants' presence has sparked a bit of backlash: last week hundreds of Tijuana citizens held a protest against the caravan.
And the official port of entry between Tijuana and San Ysidro was briefly shuttered after some members of the caravan attempted to rush the border Sunday. The area can ill afford more disruptions: that crossing processes 120,000 commuter vehicles per day.
But the caravan has also received support from volunteer groups and some government officials in Mexico. Polling company Parametria notes a plurality of Mexican citizens approved allowing the migrants into the country.
The White House is reportedly angling for a deal with the incoming Mexican government that would keep migrants in Mexico while their asylum claims are being processed in the U.S. Mexican officials have denied reports that a deal has been reached.
Mexico's new president-elect has been forging a largely positive relationship with Trump, so it's not impossible to see them reaching some sort of agreement. But a deal with the U.S. could spark political blowback in Mexico: a Pew poll from last year found nearly two-thirds of all Mexicans had unfavorable views of the U.S.
