Mexico and Guatemala Tighten Borders for Possible Migrant Caravans

On February 15, the Embassy of Mexico in Guatemala posted a tweet asserting the Authorities of Mexico wouldn’t permit migrant caravans to enter, saying, “Mexico doesn’t promote, nor permit the irregular entry of migrant caravans into nationwide territory.” (Translated from Spanish to English.)

Mexico’s warning follows data from Guatemalan intelligence sources of a tentative U.S.-bound migrant caravan probably originating from Honduras. Final week, the Authorities of Guatemala held a gathering between immigration, legislation enforcement, and intelligence company heads to deal with the potential caravan.

In response to a spokesperson for the Guatemalan Migration Institute, nationals from El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua are permitted to enter Guatemala per the Central America-4 Free Mobility Settlement. Nonetheless, residents of these nations should have a legitimate type of identification or a passport, in addition to proof of a unfavorable COVID-19 check to realize entry. The Central American nation reaffirmed its stance of making certain international nationals meet the necessities to enter. Final month, Guatemalan authorities dispersed a migrant caravan comprised of 1000’s of U.S.-bound Hondurans; the migrants didn’t possess correct paperwork to enter Guatemala.

Mexico and Guatemala have labored to fortify their borders and cease organized lots of migrants from gaining passage. Conversely, the Biden administration is diminishing border safety and permitting unlawful aliens to enter the US. The Administration’s immigration insurance policies have truly inspired the formation of migrant processions. So, it seems that we’ve reached a spot the place Central American nations are doing extra to cease unlawful immigration into the US than our personal authorities.

Moreover, the choice to dismantle the Asylum Cooperation Agreements fashioned with the governments of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador ought to increase considerations. Undoing these insurance policies will probably result in bigger and extra frequent migrant caravans to the US, as nationals of those three nations will now not be required to use for asylum in neighboring nations.

One in every of a sovereign authorities’s prime priorities needs to be to have a powerful border to guard its citizenry. Our immigration priorities should concentrate on preserving our communities protected, and our border secured, as different nations have demonstrated. Each American needs to be asking why these international governments are doing extra to curb U.S.-bound illegal immigration than President Biden.