The latest migrant caravan from Central America is en route to the U.S. and already crossed the borders of two countries in the hopes of making it to the third and final border near San Diego.
NBC 7’s Rigo Villalobos is traveling alongside the new caravan, providing updates along the way.
During President Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday, he said the U.S.’s southern border was “very dangerous.” He called for a bipartisan effort to confront “an urgent national crisis” to secure the border.
"It is time for congress to show the world that America is committed to end illegal immigration," President Trump said.
The latest migrant caravan reached Chiapas, Mexico, by Wednesday, roughly 2,300 miles from San Diego.
When hearing President Trump’s comments, some of the migrants said they were not scared, but rather said that the president doesn’t understand their situation.
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Many of the people in the new caravan said they are fleeing their countries because they are afraid to be killed by gang members.
Bryan Duran, a member of the caravan, called President Trump “very racist.” Duran said the president’s plan sounded like a threat because he is against immigrants.
President Trump also said he will build a “proper” wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying “I will get it built.” He cited San Diego’s border security in the project.
On Monday, the caravan had entered into Mexico from Guatemala.
The group then rested in a park in Tapachula, Mexico, still roughly 2,500 miles from the San Diego-Tijuana border.
Several Mexican citizens spoke with NBC 7 about the new caravan, some of whom aren’t happy with their arrival.
They said the migrant group leaves behind trash, while a member of the caravan said she always cleans up after herself and her family.
Others in the caravan said they don’t want any trouble and that they feel embarrassed when some aren’t clean because they said it makes them all look bad.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said a Canadian woman visiting the area. “We cannot feed everybody, but I am definitely going to the market to buy them some food because I am sure they do not have any money either.”
One father in the caravan said his family is fleeing Honduras because he said his daughter witnessed a crime and was threatened by people he believes are gang members.
Reaching the U.S. border will be a big challenge ahead, but the migrants said it was worth a try.
Some residents in Tapachula said they wish the migrant group the best but hope they are the last caravan to spend the night in their town.
This new caravan is much smaller than the group that traveled to Tijuana in 2018. To learn more about the timeline of that migrant caravan, click here.
