President Trump has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to disband immigrant caravans who are traveling from Central America through Mexico to the United States in the hopes of seeking asylum.
“Despite the Democrat inspired laws on Sanctuary Cities and the Border being so bad and one sided, I have instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security not to let these large Caravans of people into our Country. It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive! WALL,” the President tweeted this morning.
He also hinted at making the issue a part of the North American Free Trade Agreement’s renegotiations that are currently taking place between the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
“Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S. We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening! Also, we must get Wall funding fast,” the President wrote.
Mexico is accused of not doing enough to stop caravans of migrants from traveling through their country to the U.S. and crossing the border illegally.
Last month a caravan of 1,000 men, women and children migrants hoping to seek asylum in the U.S. made headlines when it crossed the border into Mexico with the goal of ultimately making it to America during Easter weekend. Most of the individuals within the group, and others like it, come from Honduras and Guatemala.
Most of the group was disbanded by Mexican authorities, although about fifty of the individuals did make it to the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, late last week. They have begun filing for asylum according to immigration advocacy groups helping the members in their journey.
U.S. law allows for those who arrive at a port of entry from a noncontiguous country to be admitted to the country while awaiting an immigration hearing. Most of the individuals enter and remain in the country illegally as immigration hearings can take up to two years and most do not show up.
President Trump made cutting down on illegal immigration a main campaign promise. His efforts to build a wall along the southern border have stalled as repeated requests for budgeting the construction have failed to pass Congress.
Photo by Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith via the National Guard