A huge caravan of migrants has formed in southern Mexico and is heading toward the United States border.
The caravan is estimated to be around 3,000 migrants strong and growing and is mostly made up of military-aged men.
The migrants set out on Sunday in a large caravan from southern Mexico and started walking north en route to the U.S.
The organizers claim the caravan is a protest against detention centers like the one that burned down last month, killing dozens.
The migrants, mostly Venezuelans, started walking north from Tapachula, a city in Mexico close to the border with Guatemala.
The stated goal of the migrants is to reach Mexico City in about 10 days.
Once they arrive in the city, they say they will appeal for the closure of detention centers.
However, it is believed that the caravan will then continue toward the U.S. southern border.
Most caravans that started in southern Mexico have headed north toward the United States.
Migrants often see such mass walks as an opportunity to cross the U.S.–Mexico border in a large group.
“We joined the caravan to be safer and not be detained,” Yoani, a Venezuelan migrant who only gave his first name, said in an interview with Reuters.
Yoani said that, once in Mexico City, he and his family are hoping to continue north to cross the border into the United States.
It’s unclear how many of the “protesters” plan to continue on toward the United States.
However, it seems unlikely that many of the migrants will remain in Mexico City after walking for ten days across the country.
The news comes as Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration expects to lift Title 42 on May 11.
While Biden hopes to lift the successful Trump-era border policy next month, there are lawsuits attempting to keep it in place.
The policy, which was enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, allows border agents to immediately deport people who have crossed the border into the United States unlawfully.
President Donald Trump was praised by border states for the policy that saw illegal crossings plummet.
Illegal immigrants processed under Title 42 powers aren’t permitted to request asylum while in the United States and are removed from the country.
The Title 42 program has been used more than 2.5 million times to block asylum claims.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been preparing for an influx of illegal immigrants when Title 42 is lifted.
Initially, the program was slated to end on Dec. 21, 2022, but it was extended by a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
DHS estimated that 9,000 to 14,000 migrants per day could try to enter the country illegally when the Title 42 policy ends.
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