As yet another caravan of prospective illegal immigrants marches towards the U.S.-Mexico border, President Donald Trump has stepped up the pressure and threats, this time proposing military action.
Another migrant caravan
It was only a few months ago in March and April that a caravan of thousands of illegal immigrants first attempted to travel through Latin America to the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping to be accepted as asylum seekers. Trump sent the military to the border – and Mexican authorities also helped thwart that group of migrants from reaching the border.
Now that we’re facing caravan 2.0, this one including 4,000 people, Trump will look to repeat the same response that solved this problem the first time around. The caravan began with only 160 people, and when we wrote about it yesterday, it had an estimated 3,000 people part of it. Clearly, it has no signs of slowing down.
President Trump has already tried to warn the home countries of the migrants to do something about it, but now he has to take things up a notch – including the threat of military action:
I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018
….In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught – and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018
….The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA. Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border. All Democrats fault for weak laws!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018
Prior to threatening military intervention, Trump warned the marchers that if they attempt to enter the United States illegally they will be arrested, detained, and then sent back to their country of origin. Trump also threatened to cut all foreign aid to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
Anybody entering the United States illegally will be arrested and detained, prior to being sent back to their country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2018
We have today informed the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador that if they allow their citizens, or others, to journey through their borders and up to the United States, with the intention of entering our country illegally, all payments made to them will STOP (END)!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2018
The United States has strongly informed the President of Honduras that if the large Caravan of people heading to the U.S. is not stopped and brought back to Honduras, no more money or aid will be given to Honduras, effective immediately!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2018
Like last time, Mexico says that there will be “no special treatment” for the caravan. While Mexico has no trouble sending their citizens into our country illegally, they do typically enforce their own borders and immigration laws. Mexico dispatched two 727 Boeing planes with federal police officers to their border with Guatemala yesterday to intercept the caravan.
In Trump’s tweets from this morning, his fire seems directed mainly at Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, not Mexico. He’s criticizing the former three countries for allowing this situation to even unfold – and requesting that Mexico end it.
For the most part, Mexico does appear committed to doing so.
Guatemalan security forces also detained the caravan’s leader, Bartolo Fuentes, who also happens to be a former Honduran lawmaker. Honduran officials explained that Fuentes was arrested because he “did not comply with Guatemalan immigration rules.” They indicated he would deported back to Honduras. Honduran officials set up a road block on the border with Guatemala to prevent another smaller group from passing.
Any other President simply would’ve allowed the caravan in, caving to political pressure, and the bad optics of “detaining families.” Trump has made it clear that there will be consequences if Latin American countries allow this to happen again in the first place. Trump has already cut foreign aid to Latin America this year. Guatemala received $80.7 million (a 43% cut from last year), El Salvador $46.3 million (a 36% reduction), and $67.9 million for Honduras (a 29% cut). Trump has already gutted their foreign aid once – and there’s no reason to believe he won’t do it again.
