Migrant caravan sets out from southern Mexico bound for US after midterms

What the report says

A migrant caravan has set out from Tapachula in southern Mexico, near the Guatemalan border, heading north toward the United States after last week’s US midterm elections, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters. The group, which migrants and local authorities described as numbering more than 1,000 people, was traveling through Chiapas state and includes families from several nationalities, with many said to be from Central America.

The migrants said the Democrats’ gains in Congress gave them new hope that US immigration policy could change. Some told reporters they planned first to reach Mexico City, more than 1,000 kilometers away, where they hope to seek help from the Mexican government and avoid detention. Tapachula has long been a bottleneck for people trying to move north, with many stranded there by US entry restrictions and deportations, along with limited work, health care and schooling.

The report also said Mexican authorities blocked a smaller, separate group of about 100 migrants near the Suchiate River, detaining some of them. Al Jazeera reported that the larger caravan was one of several recent attempts to move through southern Mexico toward the US border.

US President Donald Trump reacted on social media by warning Mexico to stop the caravan or face higher tariffs, while also linking the movement to what he called a political setback for Republicans in the midterms.