This particular caravan is on the small side, as before dawn, around 1,200 migrants left southern Mexico. They hope to get to Mexico City, where they can receive help in legalizing their immigration status. This patchwork of countries covers a lot of ground, including as far away as Cuba, Honduras, Ecuador, Brazil and Haiti with emigrating Cubans making up the bulk. This move is a direct response to the recent, ongoing, and sudden deterioration of U.S. immigration policy. That’s when former President Donald Trump terminated a program that had permitted tens of thousands of migrants to make their way to the U.S. border.
Losiel Sánchez, a participant in the August march. He traveled to Tapachula just over the Guatemalan border with his wife last November. They chose to make their journey end in Mexico and apply for asylum there after adventures with the U.S. immigration system. Sánchez expressed exasperation at the considerable delay in learning the fate of their standing. Even after multiple trips to Mexico’s asylum agency, Comar, the pair had no answers.
Sánchez shared his struggles in finding stable work, stating, “Everything is expensive and I can’t pay rent. There’s no work; they don’t want to give you work if you don’t have papers.” His story underscores the daunting fortunes so many of today’s migrants must traverse as they search for a more hopeful tomorrow.
The collective of migrants planned their march without a single figurehead, using social media channels to organize and share information with one another. They have to try to obtain a hard-to-get appointment through a smartphone application run by the U.S. government, CBP One. This app would allow them to come to the United States, apply for asylum and eventually receive parole into the country.
Anery Sosa, a Cuban migrant who has spent the past year in Tapachula, speaks for a lot of people in his cohort who are eager for something new. The march is about more than just walking. It represents a journey to regain hope and seek opportunity, fueled by deep frustrations along Guatemala’s northern border.
Most of the migrants in this demographic are looking to move to areas with stronger labor markets to find improved work prospects. Sadly, these opportunities are now unattainable because of their status quo. Their journey to Mexico City marks an important step towards obtaining legal recognition. It opens the door to a more secure future for them and their families.