WASHINGTON — President Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric Monday about a caravan of thousands of Central Americans making its way toward the U.S., even as uncertainty grew over what will happen to the migrants if they reach the border. Trump has seized on the caravan as a key talking point heading into the midterm elections. The president has been pointing to the growing group of migrants as justification for his aggressive immigration proposals. “Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy. Must change laws!” Trump tweeted Monday. A source familiar with the government’s information on the caravan said there was no evidence “Middle Easterners” were mixing into it. It’s unclear whether Mexico will allow the group to continue the remaining 1,000-plus miles to the U.S. border without interfering. Here are some answers to common questions about the caravan: Q: Why do caravans form? A large factor attracting migrants is potential safety in numbers. It is virtually impossible to travel through Mexico to the U.S. border without paying smugglers, as the organized crime cartels control territory that migrants need to cross. On the way, the migrants are often abused, extorted and assaulted. Caravans offer an opportunity to travel together and avoid some of those dangers. Caravans have also been seen as an opportunity for migrants and their supporters to call attention to their plight. There is extreme violence and poverty in what’s known as the Northern Triangle — Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador — which remains the largest driver of migrants to the U.S. border. Q: What happens when they reach the U.S.? It is impossible to predict how many of the migrants will eventually reach the border. In the past, hundreds of migrants have fallen away from caravans as they traveled, either turned back by Mexico, settling there, or setting off on their own. The migrants usually intend to turn themselves in to authorities in the U.S. Once they’re at a designated port of entry or if they are apprehended trying to cross illegally, they can tell officials that they have a fear of persecution in their home country. That triggers an asylum interview. Q: Where will they arrive? A caravan last spring ended up in Tijuana, so most of the migrants tried to cross at the San Ysidro port of entry south of San Diego. That border crossing is the busiest in the hemisphere and regularly has long wait times for migrants seeking asylum. In April, some migrants had to wait there for weeks. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan testified at a congressional hearing in July that the wait at that crossing at the time was 1,000 people long. The port can process 50 to 100 people a day, he said. Q: So will they be let into the U.S.? It depends. By law, asylum seekers must be given a chance to make their case once they set foot on U.S. soil. But the U.S has been stopping people before they get to the border, which officials call the “limit line,” until space is available. There is a shelter network on the Mexico side of the border. An inspector general report analyzing the administration’s handling of the family separation crisis this summer faulted that “metering” for causing more people to cross into the U.S. illegally after they were turned away from the port of entry. Long waits could also worsen an already dangerous situation, said Eric Olson, an expert on Mexico and Latin America at the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan institute in Washington. Cartels target desperate migrants at the border, he said, and homicide rates have skyrocketed there this year. “You introduce more chaos, more uncertainty to those areas and you’re going to exacerbate a very difficult humanitarian situation,” Olson said “There are very active criminal organizations operating in those areas that specialize in moving migrants, and they are going to certainly take advantage of the situation.” Q: What happens once they’re here? Once on U.S. soil, either legally at a crossing or caught illegally, an immigrant claiming fear of persecution back home is interviewed to assess whether that fear is “credible.” Those who pass that screening are given a court date, often years in the future, at which they can make their case for asylum. Those found not to have a credible fear are put into expedited deportation proceedings. Most immigrants waiting for asylum proceedings are let out of detention, often with tracking devices. The Trump administration, however, has sought to be able to detain immigrants for longer and to move their cases through faster. Q: Is the U.S. preparing for their arrival? The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment about preparations for the caravan. In a statement, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the U.S. would work with other countries to prosecute criminal organizations that “prey” on migrants. Ur Jaddou, a former counsel at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Obama administration who now works for pro-immigration advocacy group America’s Voice, said the administration should be getting ready. Instead, Jaddou said, Trump is “stoking fear, tweeting about it. ... He’s using this to scare people rather than seeing it as, ‘We have a problem, we should address it appropriately,’ as a good government should do.” Q: What are the migrants’ chances of being granted asylum? Historically, roughly 80 percent of migrants pass their initial credible-fear interview, but fewer end up winning their legal case for asylum. To stay in the U.S., asylum seekers must prove to an immigration court that they are being persecuted for something they cannot change, and that their government is unable or unwilling to protect them. Q: What has changed, if anything, under Trump? The administration has made it even more difficult for many Central Americans to win asylum. Jeff Sessions has used his unique authority as attorney general to overrule the immigration courts’ appellate body and reinterpret asylum law more narrowly. Sessions ruled this summer that most victims of domestic and gang violence don’t qualify for asylum, a decision over which California has sued the administration. But the right to claim asylum is not something the Trump administration can change by itself. That is enshrined in both domestic and international law, and would require legislation in Congress to change. Q: What about families and children? Laws and court settlements require that immigrant children be held in custody for only short periods — either three days by themselves or 20 days as part of a family. Children who arrive alone must be handed over to the Department of Health and Human Services, which runs a shelter network that houses the children until they can be placed with an adult in the U.S. The Trump administration separated more than 2,500 families to prosecute the parents this spring, then backtracked amid an international outcry. Since June, families caught crossing the border illegally have been held and processed together and most have been released into the U.S. with monitoring if they pass their asylum interview. Tal Kopan is the San Francisco Chronicle’s Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TalKopan<doc-sep>AFTER hordes of migrants stormed the Mexican border to continue their march towards the US, the caravan has now swollen to an estimated 7,000. President Donald Trump has voiced his rage that the now mile-long caravan was allowed to continue, and is quickly framing it as a key election issue in the mid-terms that are only two weeks away. 12 Aerial view of a Honduran migrant caravan heading to the US, as it reaches the Guatemala-Mexico international bridge in Tecun Uman Credit: AFP or licensors Trump has threatened to completely close the US-Mexico border and deploy the US army to stop the march. He has sought to paint the Democrats as too soft on immigration, and at fault for making the US too attractive to asylum seekers. Trump had insisted Mexico turn the caravan around, and while hundreds of police were sent to the border, they could not stop the marchers. The migrants, mainly from Honduras, broke through fences or ferried themselves across the Suchiate River which marks the border with Guatemala. 12 Central American migrants walk along the highway near the border with Guatemala, as they continue their journey trying to reach the US, in Tapachula Credit: Reuters 12 Central American migrants making their way to the US in a large caravan rest lying at the central park in Tapachula Credit: AP:Associated Press For the migrants, many of whom are fleeing poverty and gang violence, the entrance to Mexico meant another day’s walking under a blazing sun. They stretched out on rain-soaked sidewalks, benches and public plazas in the southern Mexico city of Tapachula to rest. Keeping together for strength and safety in numbers, some huddled under a metal roof in the city's main plaza Sunday night. Others lay exhausted in the open air, with only thin sheets of plastic to protect them from ground soggy from an intense evening shower. 12 Migrants bound for the U.S.-Mexico border wait on a bridge that stretches over the Suchiate River Credit: AP:Associated Press 12 A member of the red cross puts cream on a Central American migrant Credit: Reuters Father-of-four Jose Mejia from San Pedro Sula, said: "We are going to sleep here in the street, because we have nothing else. "We have to sleep on the sidewalk, and tomorrow wake up and keep walking. We'll get a piece of plastic to cover ourselves if it rains again." Civil defence officials for Mexico's southern state of Chiapas said they had offered to take the migrants by bus to a shelter set up by immigration officials about 5 miles outside Tapachula, but migrants refused, fearing once they boarded the buses they would be deported. 12 The gated entry into Mexico via the bridge was closed Credit: AP:Associated Press 12 Red Cross staff assist Honduran migrants at the border bridge between Guatemala and Mexico in Tecun Uman Credit: EPA Adela Echeverria, 52, a single mother of three, teared up as she spoke about her plight: "One of my companions went to look for some plastic. "We are used to sleeping like this, taking care of each other. We don't want to be separated." With the midterm elections so close, and immigration a strong polarising issue among democrats and republicans, the future of the caravan is political. After blaming the Democrats for "weak laws" on immigration a few days earlier, Trump tweeted: "The Caravans are a disgrace to the Democrat party. Change the immigration laws NOW!" 12 A group of Central American migrants cross the Suchiate River aboard a raft made out of tractor inner tubes and wooden planks Credit: Reuters The last caravan of this kind – which was far smaller - was followed soon after by Trump’s controversial child separation policy. Trump has also threatened to cut off aid to a number of South American countries if the migrations continue. Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador suggested Sunday that the United States, Canada and Mexico work out a joint plan for funding development in the poor areas of Central America and southern Mexico. "In this way we confront the phenomenon of migration, because he who leaves his town does not leave for pleasure but out of necessity," said Lopez Obrador, who takes office December 1. The migrant caravan, which started out more than a week ago with less than 200 participants, has drawn additional people along the way and it swelled to an estimated 5,000 Sunday. 12 Members of the Mexican police block the passage of hundreds of Honduran migrants on one of the bridges that crosses the Suchiate River Credit: EPA In interviews along the journey, migrants have said they are fleeing widespread violence, poverty and corruption in Honduras. The caravan is unlike previous mass migrations for its unprecedented large numbers and because it largely began spontaneously through word of mouth. Migrants received help Sunday from sympathetic Mexicans who offered food, water and clothing. Hundreds of locals driving pickups, vans and cargo trucks stopped to let them clamber aboard. Ulises Garcia, a Red Cross official, said some migrants with injuries from their hard trek refused to be taken to clinics or hospitals, because they didn't want to leave the caravan. 12 Central American migrants making their way to the US in a large caravan cling on to the truck of a driver who offered them the free ride Credit: AP:Associated Press Garcia said: "We have had people who have ankle or shoulder injuries, from falls during the trip, and even though we have offered to take them somewhere where they can get better care, they have refused, because they fear they'll be detained and deported. "They want to continue on their way." Jesus Valdivia, of Tuxtla Chico, Mexico, was one of the many who pulled his pickup truck over to let 10 or even 20 migrants hop in at a time, sometimes causing vehicles' springs to groan under the weight. 12 Migrants bound for the U.S.-Mexico border waiting on a bridge that stretches over the Suchiate River Credit: AP:Associated Press 12 Migrants wait on a bridge that stretches over the Suchiate River Credit: EPA MOST READ IN NEWS HEATWAVE Scorching 23C temperatures to hit THIS WEEKEND as rain & wind make way for summer COVID CHAOS France to BAN Brit tourists unless they stay in quarantine hotels for 10 days 'DAD WILL BE THERE' Biden DID meet Hunter's shady business pals when he was VP, emails show DR KNOW Fauci admits he doesn't know whether China LIED & used US funding to develop Covid 'MEETING' MASSACRE 'Mass shooter killed eight at rail yard' after 'setting home on fire' HORROR FIND Neighbor 'in tears' after finding body of 'kidnapped and slain' boy, 4 "You have to help the next person. Today it's for them, tomorrow for us," Valdivia said, adding that he was getting a valuable gift from those he helped. "From them we learn to value what they do not have." Passing freight trucks were quickly boarded by dozens of migrants, and straining tuk-tuks carried as many as a half-dozen. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.<doc-sep>Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the US, walk alongside the road in Huixtla on their way to Mapastepec, Mexico, on Oct. 24, 2018. (PEDRO PARDO/AFP/Getty Images) Members of a migrant caravan that formed in Honduras are charting their movement daily. Organizers have told CNN they still don't know exactly which route they'll take. Much depends on the Mexican government and what routes the caravan is allowed to travel, whether its members are detained or held in certain areas and whether the group is provided with buses to speed their journey. There's a possibility some members will split off and try to make their own way to the US-Mexico border. Others have decided to stay in Mexico -- or return to their home countries. Here's what we know about their journey:<doc-sep>
Thousands of Central American migrants are walking, taking buses and wading through rivers in a cross-continent effort to reach the United States. The United Nations estimates the caravan has grown to about 7,200 migrants. The trek has entered the political debate ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. Here is what we know and what’s next. Who is in the caravan, and how big is it? The caravan formed last week in northern Honduras and has grown in size ever since. The migrants reportedly are fleeing violence and poverty; many are hoping to find work in the U.S. to send money home to their families. Over the weekend, more than 2,000 migrants crossed a bridge from Guatemala into Mexico in the Mexican town of Tapachula, while others tried crossing the Suchiate River. As they entered Mexico, authorities put some people — mainly women, children and the elderly — on buses to take them to refugee camps. More than 1,000 people have requested asylum from Mexico, authorities said. The Mexican government has requested help from the United Nations’ refugee agency to process the asylum requests. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that about 500 migrants, worn out from the trip, have accepted an offer from Mexican authorities to be bused back to their countries. Police haven’t stopped the caravan outright, the Associated Press reported. As of Wednesday, the caravan was still more than 1,000 miles away from the nearest U.S. entry point in Texas. How often do such caravans head to the U.S., and what’s different this time? Caravans have been staged for years by immigrant rights groups to raise awareness of the migrants’ troubles. This most recent one has been notable for its size and the attention it garnered. “There have been periodic caravans, though none of this size and media coverage,” said Shannon O’Neil, a senior fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “It comes from a push of violence, poverty, and the lack of opportunities and a pull of U.S. possibilities — and often family — as well as smugglers urging clients and potential clients on,” she said. While massive organized caravans are not commonplace, “more and more migrants have considered as matter of safety to travel in groups because of the dangers with traffickers and other delinquency taking place in the trek, particularly Mexico,” said Manuel Orozco, director of Migration, Remittances and Development at the Inter-American Dialogue. What is Mexico’s reaction? In April, when a caravan organized by Pueblo Sin Fronteras — a group that has organized these events for years to draw attention to the violence migrants face in their home countries — moved through Mexico toward the U.S., it ended up dissipating. Some migrants sought asylum in Mexico instead, while others split off and attempted to cross into the U.S. on their own. By the time the April caravan reached the U.S., its numbers shrank from more than 1,000 to about 200. No group has taken responsibility for organizing the current caravan. Mexico has responded to the latest caravan by ramping up the number of immigration and police officials to monitor the southern border, in a bid to intercept the group earlier as it made its way from Guatemala. Mexico also outlined a plan to address the thousands of Central American migrants moving through the country. Some highlights: To “ensure the safety and integrity of migrants,” Mexico said it would process asylum requests from women, children and the elderly. Anyone who has the proper travel documents and a visa from the Mexican government will be allowed to enter Mexico and “move freely” until the visa is expired. But, as has been noted by several media outlets, few may actually have these documents. Anyone seeking refugee status must apply individually and wait up to 45 days at a “migratory station” while the request is being processed. Anyone who enters Mexico “in an irregular manner” will face deportation. What is America’s approach? As the caravan continues its journey north, President Donald Trump has called on the migrants’ home countries and Mexico to intervene. The president threatened Monday on Twitter to begin “cutting off, or substantially reducing” aid to Central American countries because the Guatemalan, Honduran and El Salvadoran governments have failed to stop the caravan from leaving their countries, he said on Twitter. Trump also tweeted that he has “alerted Border Patrol and Military” to the caravan heading to the U.S. southern border.