Migrant caravan of thousands makes 'mad dash' to US border ahead of crackdown after Trump takes office
8 November 2024, 07:24
Thousands of migrants are racing towards the US border in a last-ditch effort to enter the country before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, driven by fears that he will bring back strict immigration policies that could block their chances for asylum.
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On Tuesday, a caravan of approximately 3,000 migrants from Central America set off from Tapachula, Mexico, heading toward the United States. US Border Patrol officials described the movement as a “mad dash” to cross the border before President Biden leaves office.
A US Border Patrol source told The New York Post that the agency anticipated this surge in migration, with the US election acting as a key trigger.
“If Trump wins, they’re gonna try to get here before he’s in office,” the source said, describing the move as “one last f–k you to America.”
Another official added, “We knew this was coming because they want to get in before the ‘orange bad man’ wins.”
The hope of reaching the US before the incoming administration tightens immigration laws has set a countdown in motion as migrants scramble to cross the border amid concerns that Trump will close the door on asylum.
As Trump prepares for a second term, his promises to reinforce strict immigration measures are driving anxiety across Mexico.
WhatsApp messages circulating among migrants and smugglers echo a clear warning: “Get across by January, or you may not get across at all.”
In recent days, smuggling networks, or ‘coyotes’, have encouraged migrants to take immediate action, arguing that any delay could end their chances to enter the US.
“Of course, the coyotes will arrive,” said Gustavo Banda, an operator of a shelter in Tijuana that currently houses about 1,400 migrants. “They’re going to say that they need to get in before Donald Trump arrives.” Banda described a sense of heightened uncertainty, adding that he tries to reassure those in his care, telling them that “for the moment, absolutely nothing changes.”
In the lead-up to Trump’s victory, the Biden administration had already begun preparing for a possible surge of migrants at the border.
US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reportedly held a meeting on Monday with top immigration officials to assess the government’s capacity to manage a spike in arrivals.
Concerns raised in the discussion, according to sources, included whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had sufficient bed space for detention, the ability to fast-track deportations and whether officials would be forced to release migrants into the US to avoid overwhelming resources.
The anticipated migration spike stems from Trump’s campaign promises to reinstate policies such as “Remain in Mexico,” which forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed.
This policy alone created sprawling camps along the US-Mexico border during Trump’s first term, with many migrants stuck in limbo for months.
Trump has also pledged to end birthright citizenship and launch “the largest mass deportation programme in history.”
Trump’s re-election has already triggered conversations around potential shifts in immigration policy. During his first term, Trump implemented policies that reshaped the US border, including mass deportations and the now-suspended Title 42 rule, a pandemic-era measure restricting asylum on public health grounds.
Under President Biden, however, nearly 10 million migrants have been apprehended at the border since 2021, with September alone seeing 54,000 encounters, underscoring the ongoing pressures.
A senior US Border Patrol source described the situation bluntly: “They always make it,” alluding to the persistence of recent caravans in reaching the US despite formidable obstacles.
Trump’s second term, which promises to target illegal migration even more aggressively, could curtail not only border crossings but immigration more broadly. Trump has alluded to implementing ideological screenings for would-be entrants and cutting back on visas, and he has even proposed constitutional changes to end birthright citizenship.
