Weeks after thousands of migrants caused a crisis in South Texas, more are on the way. A new caravan of some 3,000 migrants from Haiti, Central and South America recently broke through a security barrier in Southern Mexico and is heading north, with sights set on the U.S. Texas officials say they're stationing resources at the border to prevent what happened last month, when tens of thousands of Haitian migrants ended up camped out under an international bridge in Del Rio for days.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, says the constant stream of caravans has become a distraction from the deeper issue at the border. "The caravans really are more of a publicity gimmick by the open borders folks," he tells KTRH. "Because there are way more people coming across the border not in caravans, and that's who we should focus on."
This particular caravan is planning to go through Mexico City to appeal for work permits there, before continuing toward the U.S. "The Mexican authorities have a pretty strong interest in breaking this up, long before it gets to our border," says Krikorian. "So if I had to put money on it, I don't think this caravan, as a caravan, is going to even make it to our border...but a lot of the individuals in it may be coming over in small groups."
Those who do make it to the border should find themselves turned back south, thanks to the Remain in Mexico policy, which requires asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their claims are processed. Federal courts ordered the Biden administration to restore the policy last summer, but the administration has yet to do so, despite promising to obey the court order. "I'll believe that Remain in Mexico is restored when I see it," says Krikorian. "I don't think this administration has much motivation to really do it...I think their excuse is going to be that Mexico isn't cooperating enough with us."