They should turn back now. Their fraudulent asylum claims will be denied and they will be deported.
14
Why should law abiding applicants from other countries wait for decades to get green card and citizenship while these crowds just walk up to the border and enter USA? Everywhere in the world people living in poverty and turmoil will love to enter USA, but there has to be an order which should be followed by all.
35
People: does anyone here recall the long and sordid history of US military intervention in Central America. Trash a country, train dictators and their minions, and there will be consequences.
15
Americans and Europeans must accept their share of responsability for conditions in the countries from which these, our fellow, human-beings come. We in Europe are being tested similarly. There is no easy solution, but greeting them with guns is certainly not one of them.
40
I would bet the farm that each day when Donald Trump gets out of bed he has to pinch himself because I just cannot believe how easy it is to pull a political fast one on his minions.
His base will believe virtually anything that comes out of this man's mouth. I bet Trump cannot believe how easy it has been for him. Imagine, no consequences, nothing to hold his baser instincts in check. A man-child with the full weight of the presidency behind him.
He hit the political lottery in 2016. I keep remembering his performance in the Rose Garden when he invited the Republican House members to "celebrate" a piece of legislation that eked through the House. "I'm president! Can you believe it?" he said.
Unbelievable.
36
The children of suffering people all over the world who once thought of US as a force and haven against oppression will become adults someday (the ones who survive the terror in their own countries). I worry that there will be widespread justifiable hatred of US among these survivors--- and my young US grandchildren will suffer as objects of this hatred for being a part of US.
17
From the start, this journey has reminded me of two passages in the Gospels: Mary and Joseph seeking shelter on the first Christmas Eve; Mary, Joseph and Jesus fleeing the persecution of Herod and making the long trek to Egypt.
In both cases, they ultimately found accommodations, however meager.
It’s telling that a nation, which in two weeks celebrates the accommodations its forefathers once received 350 years ago, and which, to hear Trump tell it, is enjoying the greatest prosperity ever created in the history of mankind isn’t just refusing accommodations, it’s hurling insults and sending its powerful military to reject such desperate people.
This cannot bode well for this self-described “Christian nation.”
29
I wish somewhere in this reporting on story - one of these reporters had bothered to tell these folks - hey, there is a legal way. They could tell these folks that Amerucan spends millions on it's embassies and consulates - just to help folks like these.
I am an immigrant to America and waited almost 10 years but did everything legally.
Someone should tell them and these reporters that they are only encouraging illegal behavior that we do not tolerate in our own country.
Imagine a bunch of teenagers marching from their schools demanding that they start drinking against their parents wishes.
All these reporters tagging along - reporting similar stories - but I expect one reporter to tell a teenager that grow up and you will have all the opportunities.
While all these stories are good - they do nothing for folks who are attempting to migrate legally as our systems are way over clogged handling these gate crashers.
Recently, it was reported in the NYT that waiting period to become a citizen after having "qualified" for it - exceeds a couple of years- when I became a citizen sone 40 years back - took not even six months.
So, while these reporters are not agents of American government, but if they are Americans - they can do a citizens duty to explain to these folks - how to do it all legally.
44
every time I see these heart wrenching pictures of mothers with young children, all I can say is birth control must be available to folks in these failed nations, otherwise these women will never be free. Aid for nation building and birth control rather than open migration by profoundly unrealistic people.
35
This is a humanitarian crisis and should be treated as such.
16
Over and over, I hear some say that such migrants who enter and stay are a burden, notwithstanding substantial evidence to the contrary. When people establish themselves in a peaceful place, they contribute to growing the overall economy. The people are the economy, and removing a chunk of the population only makes the economy smaller and less vibrant. Many white people here who are underperforming economically want a scapegoat for their problems and find it in immigrants who are not actually the cause of their problems. As long as people continue to bash these immigrants the root causes of their own problems will continue to go unresolved. The truth is, if in today's roaring economy, someone born and raised in the US cannot find and keep a decent job -- or compete in the job market against unskilled, desperate Central Americans who in some cases didn't even complete grade school and don't speak English -- then the local citizen needs to take some personal initiative to do better, or the US economy needs to be more equitable, or both. Sorry, but this country is better off, not worse, because we took in desperate Vietnamese on boats, and Jews escaping pogroms with the shirts on their backs, and Irish of the potato famine. Supporters of capitalism are always saying how other people need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, until a little downturn comes, and then many of them want to bash some vulnerable group rather than compete in the economy is it is.
16
I work with a sponsorship charity called Little Children of the World. We provide sponsored families in the Philippines with health care, reduced cost food, education and faith for over 500 families with the goal of giving them a chance for a better life there. My sponsored child is now in college there and wants to open her own business when she graduates. Imagine if programs like this were replicated in Central America.
11
Brave, ambitious (walking thousands of miles for a better life), willing to do a hard thing and endure hardship to earn a better life: these people sound like just the sort of people we'd want.
22
Trump & the conspiracists said this was instigated by Soros but in fact it could benefit them and Russia by destabilizing the U.S., almost like the movie when Joker bombing Gotham and blaming it on the Batman. The progressives got played knowingly or unknowingly.
The simple fact is that nothing is monolithic. There are good people, bad people and hapless people in the mix. The U.S. in their eyes is the promised land. She is, of course, but people have to work hard to get the milk and honey floating. Those who appreciate the opportunity to contribute should be given a chance. Those who thought they could exploit her generosity should meet justice with extreme prejudice. Those who are clueless might unfortunately end up in the dark underbelly of any society being exploited further in elicit trades.
So how do you solve the problem? The local governments should commit to an education telling the people the truth. Why would they want to do that? Because they are receiving American aids
1
Uplifting story; I hope they safely make it to the us border. America should welcome these brave people. They deserve to be able to start a new life in the USA
25
@Kris
And just what will these people do here? There are no coffee fields to labor in. They have no education. Sounds like most never finished grade school. Probably can’t even read.
So once these “brave” people arrive in the US, how will they survive? What jobs can they get? So they escape poverty in one country to a life of poverty here where they continue the cycle....but now we get to pay for it!
Send them back
42
If we issued them MAGA hats and had them chant "Lock her up", Trump would welcome them in gladly, give them voting rights with Republican registrations, and possibly a few White House jobs for some of them.
21
And little do they know, that their actions are the most destructive thing they can do for themselves and for humanity here in the US.
They apparently have no idea of Trumpistan and his utterly self-driven eagerness to create hatred. They make it so easy for him, and they don't even know it.
What a mess!
16
You've got to admit that Trump ordering the military to the border was pure tactical genius - and not just a political stunt!
Just look ... after the midterm elections that problem has been solved because we haven't heard a word about it since.
6
How can one's heart not break looking at the little boy deep in a sleep, and temporary at best, from his grueling passage in search of a dream his parents told him about.
And we can thank our 'lucky stars' our children are so fortunate they are spared 'rights of passage' so many thousands upon thousands of children living outside our borders have to endure.
10
Why did the media cover the caravan only when Trump was talking about it?
If it is newsworthy, then it should be newsworthy regardless.
If not, and was deemed newsworthy only because Trump talked about it, then the media engaged in naked propaganda designed to help Trump and the Republicans in the mid term elections.
Failure of the MSM to recognize or use the word "propaganda" to describe its reporting in 2018 is just like its failure to use the word "lie" in 2016 despite the fact that candidate Trump was doing that every day.
16
Central America needs help with family planning, birth control and maternal health. We enjoy the fruits of their labors in coffee, bananas and vegetables. As their neighbors we should help. Life at home should be sustainable but there is none of that with overpopulation.
53
I fear the Democrats are misreading the electorate on this, and letting their justifiable outrage over Trump's lies, xenophobia and hysteria-mongering cloud their thinking.
There are polling numbers showing Americans want fairness and parents and kids to be kept together at the border. There are polls showing Americans welcome lawful immigrants, even low skilled ones, and recoil from demonizing people and xenophobia.
However, there are no polls showing Americans welcome migrants who game the system, or plan to avoid asking for asylum and simply use the bureaucratic delays to disappear into America. Yet, there are Democrats who engage in double-speak. "We don't want open borders but everybody come in and claim asylum,because your homeland is an awful place. Oh abolish ICE too." That said without having a replacement agency up and running.
I'd like to see Democrats stay in power in the House. Anything that smacks of winking and nodding at mass uncontrolled migration as briefly took place in Germany will be toxic to such hopes.
127
@Unworthy Servant
This caricature of 'the Democrats' is really cheeky: "We don't want open borders but everybody come in and claim asylum,because your homeland is an awful place. Oh abolish ICE too."
In the first place, the abolition of ICE is neither the party's position nor what its majority wants. Second, claiming asylum is not the same as being allowed to live in the country.
Most important, the displacement of problems in regions from which people are fleeing to the US and Europe doesn't work; but neither does ignoring and bottling up the problems of these regions in fear, anti-immigrant fever, and distortions.
23
@Unworthy Servant
"Gaming the system" to get a chance of survival for oneself and one's children? If it were you, would you not do the same? To do otherwise and kowtow to the inhumane treatment of immigrants currently being implemented by US would be immoral and evil.
13
I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere, but is no one concerned that some on the aspiring immigrants have previously been in the US without legal status, some more than once? That would mean that an aircraft, flight crew, and border agents would be tasked with repatriating those with deportation orders back to their country of origin. I don't imagine that would be low cost venture. And if returned home two or three times, isn't that a bit much for the taxpayer to bear?
31
@S Sm
Not to worry, S Sm, the US government has massive printing presses for printing more money.
If they print too much money, too fast, that would de-stabilize the currency. They have to have just the right touch, like Goldilocks's porridge.
3
In Summit, Bernardsville and other well to do NJ towns, undocumented children are filling school desks, taking up the ESL classes, with young mothers that are typically middle school dropouts, with their fathers doing manual labor. They get free medical help at the hospitals, are sent home with food drive bags at holiday time, and came home from hospitals in brand new carseats provided by the local hospital they were born in.
How does this not impact the poor children we already have in this country that don't get this special treatment?
Something is wrong when the outpouring of help and kindness avoids the citizens that have parents raised here with similar dire circumstances.
101
@cedar - please give us examples of poor American children who do not get this treatment. Do you know this for a fact?
19
I couldn't get my children to walk 5 hours through DisneyWorld, so how are children, let alone adults, walking for weeks on end?
Moreover, how are these young people all in possession of fancy cell phones if they're poor, who is paying those bills and buying the phones?
I'd really like to know the answers.
50
@The Garden State
I just did a quick search on Movistar, a mexican cell carrier. Their cheapest phone is $64. It's not that expensive, and a cell phone is a life-line for these people. It is probably the most expensive thing they own. Payment plans are an option and I bet a used cell phone would be even cheaper. A family member can easily recharge their accounts from afar, and a texting only plan is probably very affordable. These people are poor but they are not completely destitute. Poor people deserve to have cell phones! Poor people have helpful family members. What they don't have is even a shred of compassion from most of the world.
28
Certainly all immigrants who come to America have the same dreams, a better life for themselves and their families. But most of us came through a long, legal line. There were many what ifs along the way, but we persevered. And we were rewarded and are an integral part of this great nation. For most of us, home was poor, corrupt, not enough opportunities and over populated. So exactly what diffentiates the central Americans from folks from Asia or Africa? Why are they so special that we need to grant them dreamer status? Why when every one of their countries have schools and colleges and teachers and professors are these folks so uneducated? If you want something positive, you can achieve it at least at a basic level in your home country before jumping ship. Could it be they just want to make easy money? All this loud emotional sentiment is losing the real goals of this crowd of potentially illegal immigrants.
66
@Meena
These migrants have taken bold, decisive action. They are daring Trump to step on them.
Trump will back down, betcha!
Hondurans are showing us the way.
4
@Meena I don't think all of us stood in lines. My ancestors came here in the late 1500's/early 1600s. They just came. Some were forced to come (or had no other option) as indentured servants. Many people of African ancestry came here without standing in lines. Today maybe yes we stand in lines which I guess is your point. Why can't "they". I'd say why can't we, as the wealthiest country out there and as a major buyer of goods from low income countries like Honduras) figure out policies that improve the lives of people living near our borders. We're partially to blame for the gang warfare that goes on in Honduras; Yes the Honduran gov't is also to blame but we buy the drugs, we sent gang members that grew up in the streets of our country back to Honduras and it backfired in a big way. If government won't do anything but wage war on poor people then we, the people, need to step up and figure out solutions.
7
@MB
My family came thru Ellis Island with no promises given to them. They worked hard to learn the language and give future generations a better life. They were discriminated against and did menial labor. But they came here legally, worked hard and assimilated.
Why can’t these people do the same?
25
Letting endless uneducated, poor, unskilled migrants into our country is a crime against poor and working class Americans.
148
@MS The same Americans who will be the first to vote for the rich ivory tower elite who are the loudest proponents of granting asylum to these poor people but will never experience any consequences of doing so.
20
@MS
These migrants have much in common with the Cubans who paddled rafts to Florida. Some of those Cubans became political leaders. Hondurans will do likewise.
10
@Heckler Most of the Cubans who paddled to these shores were the educated that the communists sought to oust not people who'd been working in coffee fields since age seven.
22
The question is not whether these people are fleeing horrible conditions. The question is whether a sovereign country has the right to decide who gets in, why and when. The caravans reflect people's knowledge that others were able to cajole, sneak their way in. Every Honduran who gets asylum inspires hundreds of others to join new caravans - it will be unending, unless the incentive to take the risk is taken away.
91
I wish these precious souls godspeed, and just ask all who in any way view as anathema what they are doing to put yourselves in their shoes. My own grandparents emigrated dirt-poor from Greece in the 1920s through Ellis Island for the same reasons these Hondurans are trying to come to the U.S. today. I urge everyone to read what is on our Statue of Liberty: "‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.’
71
@Christopher Yes, they immigrated -- lawfully. They were not permitted off Ellis Island until their applications were adjudicated.
Perhaps we should transport all these applicants to, say, an off-shore facility, there to await adjudication. Santa Cruz Island has lots of room. Build a housing unit there, staffed -- and guarded.
57
@Christopher - If you visit the immigration museum at Ellis Island you will learn that the immigrants were vetted. They had to be in good health and not a burden to the public purse and some were sent back. It is more than certain this group of Central American migrants will be dependent on the public purse, whether they are eventually repatriated or not.
45
@Christopher As an immigrant who spent a number of years trying to legally move to this country while having to go through numerous background checks, education checks and proving I will not be a burden to the society, I feel insulted every time those who jumped the line and entered illegally are awarded for breaking the law.
As much as we are a nation of immigrants we are also a nation of laws, and every time those who condone and encourage this unlawfulness for cheap political gain our democracy is further eroded.
61
I would much rather have these strong,resilient, determined people as my neighbors than Trump and his fearful, anxious supporters.
142
i agree bravo
8
@Bruce - Be careful what you wish for. . .
10
Immigration needs to be a win-win in order to be effective; this is a win-lose (with the immigrants having everything to gain and we Americans bearing an unwelcome burden). We're already concerned about the displacement of low-skill/low-education American workers by A.I., mass immigration by Hondurans is the last thing we need.
131
I don't know about the rest of pix... but second one of the river of humanity is the real caravan... and this is no 4000 this is 20-30,000 people...
And look closely there are no females or kids... only able bodied men ages from 13-55 or so...
Seems that maybe Trump's assertions can be somewhat correct...?
There are enough homeless destitute people in the US, our citizens... We can't possibly bring in all those who think they can just show up and get a free housing, pot of chicken and clothing... they need to be turned back and abide by laws... Whatever the quota for refugees this year... the rest please keep in line for next year....
69
@Jack I don't know where you come up with 20,000 from that picture. Also, the article does state that most of the migrants are young men. No surprise there, that's who is more likely to take the risk and send $ back to their families. There are many causes of emigration -- corrupt governments, lack of investment, shortage of resources, too many people. They all need to be addressed to slow large migrations, but these people had little to do with many (not all) of those factors that were outside their control. Showing some compassion will not crater our economy or our country.
11
@Jack I find it interesting that out of the dozen pictures that show families, women, children and men, you focus on the 1 picture that is predominantly males. We all look to support our point of view, and certainly you have.
7
@Ken Cramer There are many many photos of women.. with children, babies.. I am not sure what pictures @Jack is seeing.
6
Stay home and fix the problems!
44
Mexico has the 13th largest economy in the world. Its president, Enrique Pena-Nieto, has invited members of the Caravan to apply for asylum there, in Mexico. He said everyone who was eligible for asylum would receive shelter, medical attention, schooling, and jobs.
Mexican federal policemen actually blocked the Caravan’s progress temporarily to announce this offer, but the majority of migrants refused the offer. All they wanted was to continue on to the U.S.
Why aren’t they applying for asylum in Mexico?
98
@ann, Because they don't get a nice apartment, food and educations for free.
42
@ann
Interesting that the president of Mexico was willing to offer,"...shelter, medical attention, schooling, and jobs."
USA offers nada.
6
The resources are limited in every environment, restricting the size of the population who can live there. A "Dry Corridor" runs through wide swaths of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras where there is typically little water for farming. If the population grows too large, there is not enough food for everyone. This situation is made exacerbated when the normally “Dry Corridor” goes into periods of intense drought. Many become fearful of going hungry, and could end up fighting over the limited resources.
Most of the people in these countries are descendants of the great Mayan civilization. While no one knows for sure what brought it to an end, most agree that overpopulation was a major factor.
These countries are again overpopulated, and the Dry Corridor is again experiencing a drought.
Our own country’s environmental resources are being stretched. Much of the western half of our country has limited water. Westerners argue over water rights, and are in the process of depleting underground aquifers. We are already the 3rd most populous nation, and can no longer absorb large numbers of immigrants.
If all of the undocumented Central Americans would return home, we could offer them food aid, introduce crops that require less water, help them design and build better reservoirs, and explain family planning.
45
I should like to remind the readers of this article that between Mexico and Central America there are approximately 150 million people . The vast majority of these people have a standard of living enormously lower than ours and it's certainly understandable why they all would want to move to the US to get benefits even if they cannot find jobs with their abysmal level of Education.
Once again ..not 4000 or 7000 or 10,000 but 150 million.!
40
Honduras is a failed state. The machismo culture makes it difficult for women. The poverty is breathtaking. The US should take it over and give all Hondurans US citizenship. While we are at it add El Salvador, Mexico, Hispaniola (Haiti and Santo Domingo) to the mix. They are making babies....that will support and grow the US economy as we transition to a inclusive society. There is no realistic way for the US to exclude them. By any measure the vast majority of these people deserve asylum. The taxpayers would have costs but also the benefits of land, resources and a broader tax base to include the thieving oligarchs south of the border.
@as Honduras is a failed state, yes, but not because of its legal system - because of its culture (which you cite). Same goes for El Salvador, Haiti, and so on.
In this scenario in which the United States absorbed all the failing and ailing states of the Western Hemisphere, the downward pull of these annexed countries would simply wreck the country. And that's not even taking into account the insurmountable challenge of trying to smelt whole entire countries in the Melting Pot (which is eschewed by Democrats in favor of "multiculturalism" and "Diversity").
24
@as
There is no pat answer to immigration issues, but what no country needs is to encourage higher population. The Earth can't sustain us at current numbers.
17
A heart rending account. The NYTimes again plays on the heartstrings. But ignoring certain aspects of the reality. Specifically: International law provides for asylum to be available to those in need of it. But it does not allow the asylum seekers to shop for the best deal.
Mexico offered all those in the caravan asylum, days ago. Many accepted that offer.
Those who rejected it are no longer seeking asylum. They have no skills, no education, do not speak English -- they are, in essence, unemployable.
They already have obtained asylum, in Mexico. They are heading north for benefits.
119
@Texas Liberal
Every able bodied person of legal working age is employable, language barrier or not.
If they don't already know how, they can easily learn by watching how to do entry level tasks such as cleaning, field work, some restaurant work, etc.
4
Let's see if this gets published..
Why doesn't the NYT inquire whether the Mexican government offered to grant asylum to any in this group? Is it Mexico who is paying for transportation and some food? Why do that but not offer meaningful help? Who is providing the trucks? Why doesn't the Times ask this?
Anyone with a heart would have to feel for these people. But the man in Honduras who organized this did them a great disservice. The U.S., in fact no nation, can just let through thousands of immigrants especially if they try to cross illegally. It sets a dangerous precedent. All ready there are other caravans that have popped up. these people are unskilled and uneducated, which is a direct competition with unskilled workers in the U.S. So saying there is no strain on our country is inaccurate.
I also wonder why all these churches to provide help to immigrants, legal or otherwise, ever do the same for all the homeless families living in the U.S.
64
@GMT
Mexico has offered migrants work permits if they apply for asylum in Mexico.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/27/mexico-offers-temporary-permits-to-caravan-migrants-seeking-asylum
The article states the truck rides were supplied by the Catholic church.
Try researching before leaping to conclusions. We're all weary of reading assumptions and innuendo.
17
Trump and his affiliated bigots and xenophobes have demonized these people whose only "crime" is a desperate desire to escape grinding poverty and rampant violence.
Almost all of my family left Mexico when the 1910 Revolution plunged the nation into years of extreme violence. Some 1.5 million people would be killed.
My ancestors were able to cross the border into Texas freely, as it was unguarded in those years. In all an estimated 200.000 Mexicans would surge across the border as the revolution raged.
My family left behind ranches, businesses and homes. They arrived with only what they could carry. Initially, they struggled to survive, but eventually prospered. They did so despite language barriers and intense racism.
Today, my family includes dozens of college grads, military vets, police officers, business owners and a wide range of professionals.
Should at least some of the caravan trekkers be allowed into the U.S., they will work hard to become productive members of our society.
Casting them as dangerous invaders is cruel and immoral.
24
Where is the outrage from evangelical Christians that their brethren are to be treated in this way by Trump?
7
The portion of working age adults without a high school diploma has increased by 20% over the last 2 decades.
This is largely due to the huge number of immigrants who lack a high school diploma.
This change, especially if ongoing, is going to have a large negative impact on this country down the road.
What looks like a cheap housekeeper or roofer today is going to look a lot different 20 or 30 years from now. There are going to be millions of adults who've never paid into Social Security.
And a lot of their kids and grandchildren are going to struggle as well. Studies have already shown that.
We can't just be thinking of now.
60
@Talbot
Provide sources, please. Thank you.
2
@Talbot why do you say “never paid into social security”? I have worked with dozens of immigrants and social security was deducted from their checks as required by law, and the employers also paid their share. That is the case even if a person’s papers turn out to be fraudulent...The net result is they never take out any money from the system even though they have put into it. That is the exact opposite of what you are stating.
Unless, of course, you are inferring these people do not work. That’s ridiculously untrue. A good 30% of the many dozens of immigrants I worked with had two jobs, two full-time jobs, and yet their energy and dedication on the job never flagged.
Perhaps you are defining immigrants is the problem when the real problem of money not being paid into Social Security is when the employers, the American US citizen employers, are taking the criminal action of paying people under the table and not withholding Social Security from wages and not paying their share of the Social Security tax either. In other words, the criminal action of US citizens. Solution to that problem is not with the immigrants, but with the corrupt thieves operating their businesses in this fashion. They need to be prosecuted and treated like the criminals that they are.
9
I am not a trump supporter & will never support a dictator. But making these immigrants use official ports of entry to seek asylum makes sense. If they cross illegally then they should be denied any process & be returned to their country to try again legally. When will trump place Saudi Arabia on a travel ban? If he thinks there are "middle eastern terrorists" trying to sneak in with the caravans, America needs to know if they are Saudi or Muslims from the travel ban countries. Maybe Saudi Arabia is compensating the caravan so their terrorists can come in with them.
23
United States contiguous states are about 7 times bigger than Colombia. The caravan coming from Central America is 0.1% as compared to the people going from Venezuela to Colombia.
United Sates GDP was 19.3 trillion dollars in 2017. Colombia's was 309.2 billion dollars.
Colombia's government is not crying, and is being generous with our dear Venezuelan brothers.
We still remember American generosity in West-Berlin, when more than 2 million German escaped from the communists, and forced Walter Ulbricht to build the infamous Berlin Wall.
Oh, and we also remember the millions of Cubans escaping also from their communist ruler, in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s
American generosity that helped achieve the downfall of the Soviet Union.
Long live the Marshall Plan. Long live the Alliance for Progress. Long live America the beautifully generous country.
10
How can letting in these alleged refugees help the average citizen of the U.S. ? I would wager that most have no skills or education so they will compete directly with the working class, drive up the price of affordable housing, and continue overwhelm our schools and emergency rooms. Working class wages and conditions are finally improving - importing more poverty just helps the rich keep the working citizen in their place. In addition, once the women in these caravans get into the country, they will probably have an anchor baby so it is harder to deport them when their asylum claim is found to be fraudulent, if they even show up for the hearing.
77
@Enough Humans These immigrants do the work that the white working class feels they are too good for-agriculture, cleaning, yard work. They work for companies that make profits by not paying them a living wage and having them work 18 hour days.
14
@Nicole K If these so called asylum seekers were not allowed to enter the US, then companies that exploit them would need to hire citizens for decent pay and working conditions. This is another reason E-Verify should be mandatory. In addition, employers that knowing hire unauthorized workers should be fined and/or jailed which this administration is finally doing.
40
@Nicole K and what about in 3 years when those jobs are automated? Then these immigrants are going onto our crumbling welfare system.
30
Trump plans to deny asylum to virtually any migrant who crosses the border illegally.
Imagine that, a President who expects people wanting to come into our country to do so in a LEGAL manner.
68
Imagine that he blocks the bridges at the "legal" ports of entry so they can not enter to apply for asylum there either. The perfect Catch-22. I can see why you admire it.
11
But it’s not illegal to apply for asylum.
7
The picture used to introduce Mr. Semple's article speaks volumes.
The peoples who 'are' the 'caravan' are not a horde of criminals coming to storm our borders. They represent those who are invited to come to America as the insciption on the base of our Statue of Liberty reads, this invitation we've read since 1886:
"Give me your poor, your tired, Your huddled masses, yearning to be free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore."
Donald Trump has turned this message on its head, claiming our country has no room for the likes of these swarthily complected peoples. His message is racist to its core and is little more than 'click bait' for his followers, that base he needs to keep his presidency and maligned message alive.
20
This is just the beginning. Overpopulation, Climate change refugees, crime, failed states - all of these will get worse in Central America.
Best face the question head on - Do we have a border, or not?
96
@Wabi-Sabi
I hope this is one issue the House and Senate will finally address now that one party controls each branch.
It shouldn't be so divisive, the vast majority of Americans want controlled immigration that provides for refugees from violence and persecution, as well as fair policies concerning other types of migrants.
5
There is one photo here that is very revealing. The one with the endless sea of adult men.
However, when ever I see a story about the caravan the leading photo is always the one with children and that's what the media is always focusing on.
What percentage of this caravan is comprised of adult men and how many families with children are there and are we even allowed to ask that?
100
Ask away. These adult men are making this extremely difficult trip to be part of the labor force of our dwindling population, and to do the work that you and your relatives wont have any part of. If they were gang members, they wouldn't be fleeing from the gangs.
13
@Ellen The US population is growing because of immigration. It would be good if US population was declining. The only way to save the biosphere is to reduce the human population of the developed countries which is the cause of the sixth mass extinct of non-human life happening right now.
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@Ellen We already have a program for temporary Agricultural and Non-Agricultural labor.
These are H-2A and H-2B visas which is a legal way for everyone to win. We get the labor we need and they earn more money during the specific labor season than they do in a year or more back in their home country.
On top of that we are told these men are not in the caravan because they need work but because they will be seeking asylum so the whole point you are making is not really valid.
25
It's high time to reverse the course of Trump's despicable attitude toward these people whose suffering for the most part originated in US policies in Central America over many decades. "Reverse" as in trading places -- let these fellow human beings camp out on the grounds of the White House for two more years while Trump gets a taste up close and personal to life in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Strip him of his bloated persona and wealth and give him the keys to one of the shops abandoned by these families threatened with death for not paying protection money by some ultra-violent gang.
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The article does state that most in the caravan are young men. But again all but one of the pictures featured in this article show woman and children.
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@free range Their plight resulted from overpopulation. The population of the Central Triangle countries has tripled since 1970!
It wasn't US policies that caused that. It was Catholicism.
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@Texas Liberal
U.S. political interference in Central American countries was responsible for much of the resultant violence.
And how many of those pushing the anti-birth control gospel of Catholicism on our southern neighbors were based in the U.S.?
We are responsible for the consequences of our actions.
7
Here is an idea: Let them pass though the United Sates and come to Canada: That would put Mr. Trudeau and his compassionate policies on asylum seekers to test and give us Canadians the opportunity to also show compassion. We can use some hard working people here, as most of these people seem to be. How else can you explain taking this horrible journing walking, stating time and time again that all you want is to work? Any country could definitely use hard working, determine people like these. Of course, this is wishful thinking but I would very happy if it became a reality.
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@Patricia Gonzalez,
did you walk all the way from Costa Rica.
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@Patricia Gonzalez Canada won't take them.
About a week ago, I filled out a questionnaire for a legal organization in Canada dedicated to helping refugees gain entry. I was Maria Cruz from Honduras, 23, no high school, 2 children ages 2 and 4, no skills, unable to speak English or French. I used an email address separate from my usual.
I receive a long, polite, response that can be summarized in two words: No way.
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@Patricia Gonzalez
Your country doesn't welcome them if they're over 50, otherwise I'd move to Canada.
6
Trump needs to put up something like the travel band and include all migrants from Central America.
Also we must adopt a plan like the EU has. The migrants who arrive are put in some type of detention facility and are not allowed to work till their asylum case is heard
We make a mistake in letting asylum seekers work. That is what this horde is counting on. Being released into the interior of the county and allowed to work pending the outcome of their asylums case which can take several years. This kins of border enforcement is no enforcement and operates as pull factor.
At all costs we must not let them enter and those that enter should be swiftly deported.
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@judyweller The US government should provide the effectual means for a refugee to make a lawful claim of asylum. We are a nation of laws, the nativists argue, except when it comes to the president upholding our binding treaty commitments.
6
Yes, we are a nation of laws. That's why we don't operate our immigration system based on a poem on a statue.
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@judyweller that is a very expensive plan. If they work, they support themselves as best as they can. Your plan puts all costs on the US government, depending (under this administration) largely on private for profit prison businesses. You know, those businesses that many states have tosded out now and refused to use Because of the abuse and neglect of the prisoners there in all in the name of profit. Money for blood.
This is good reporting, but nowhere are readers told what the latest estimate of the number of people remaining in this non-caravan.
I know it's just an estimate but when it reaches the total predicted by the Pentagon it will be time to ask the Department of Defense if its troops are still needed at the border to back up the National Guard and the Border Patrol.
5
As I was reading this article, I was trying to picture in my mind the 'Caravan', in Moses' time.
I wonder if a couple of thousand years from now, a new Otto Preminger will direct a movie called 'The Caravan', and the people, whatever human-like form they are in, will watch and weep.
Will there be a leader who, instead of saying 'Let my people go', will say 'Let my people in'?
9
Open question: is there any way an average US citizen can help sponsor these people (or any people) for entry and an eventual path to citizenship? I know that our current administration has made it extremely difficult for anyone to enter the US and become a citizen. Does it help if they have someone (like McDuck, here in Chicago) willing to sponsor them?
Pardon the naiveté. There's been so many stories on this caravan but very little on how to help these people survive.
12
@McDuck,
Why not help them in their own country.
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@JRS how do you help someone who is seeking refuge because their children will be murdered in their entire family will be murdered if the children are not allowed to participate and be a member of the gang?
We could have a boy did the war in Afghanistan if we had help them with infrastructure and needs like clean water. But that’s not profitable enough for the war mongers that control so many our politicians.
Can we get permission to fly a plane over the caravan to drop leaflets explaining that those who propose to sneak into our country are wasting their effort because they are not getting in and that Trump is talking about stationing 15,000 soldiers at the border which is 3 soldiers per immigrant, along with applications to be filled out and mailed-in or otherwise submitted to a US consulate or embassy so as to get consideration for legal admission into this country?
Seems reasonable to me.
42
Doubt that would be much of a deterrent. Desperate people are still dying whilst trying to get to Europe from North Africa. They know the risks, and ignore them. I imagine these Central American people are just as desperate and are motivated by the horrors left behind.
6
The information is being disseminated.
My heart travels with these hopeful, brave people. How to help? I welcome all suggestions.
19
Let's hope that Trump's military storm troopers don't shoot any of them. Of course, if the do, it'll be the migrant's fault for "invading" the country.
3
@Francie Fuhrel I was about to ask the same thing.
As revealing and heartbreaking as this article is, what can we do to mobilize our efforts and prepare for the pioneers' arrival with hospitality and legal protection?
8
@Francie Fuhrel These “hopeful, brave people” could have accepted Mexico’s offer to stay, but they want our government benefits so they continue.
8