Caravan migrants hope for transport

Thousands of Central American migrants in a caravan traveling through Mexico are hoping to organize mass transit to help them get to Mexico City on their way to the nearest U.S. border. A committee of migrants on Tuesday said it will speak with Mexican authorities and request bus transport. A second, smaller group of 1,000 migrants following 250 miles behind the first group clashed with Mexican authorities, forcing its way across the river from Guatemala on Monday.

About 800 Pentagon-deployed troops arrived in San Antonio on Tuesday in the first wave of 5,200 U.S. troops heading to the southwest border to reinforce Border Patrol and National Guardsman already in place. President Donald Trump remains adamant that the caravan will not be allowed to cross the border. On Monday he told Fox News that migrants claiming asylum will be held until their claims are decided in a U.S. court. “We’re going to build tent cities. We’re not going to build structures and spend all of this hundreds of millions of dollars,” the president said. “They’re going to wait, and if they don’t get asylum, they get out.”

Some migrants have already chosen to halt their journey: Close to 200 migrants have returned home, while 1,700 have applied for asylum from Mexico, USA Today reported. The group peaked at an estimated 7,000 migrants, and Mexican authorities estimate the group numbers close to 4,000. The migrants still have nearly 1,000 miles to go before they reach the nearest U.S. border crossing in McAllen, Texas.