US-bound migrants clash with Mexican forces; chaos at Guatemala border

Hundreds of Central American migrants waded across the Suchiate river into southern Mexico border on Monday, putting at test US President Donald Trump’s strategy to keep the migrants off the US border, international media reported. Mexico’s National Guards fired tear gas to force them back leading to a situation of chaos and unrest at the border. 

Mexican guards fire tear gas at migrants

On Monday evening, the members of '2020 caravan' of 35,000 undocumented migrants gathered on the Guatemalan side of the border demanding migration from the Mexican authorities, said international media. Following the delayed response from the authorities, they started fording of the Suchiate river that is shallow at this time of the year compelling the Mexican guards to fire tear gas to force them back leading to scenes of chaos. Dozens of migrants made across the border but many hundreds were forced back.

Many other migrants scuffled with national guardsmen on the riverbank while others slipped through the Mexican lines and trudged off on rural highways in small groups. Most of them, however, remained at the river’s edge or stood in the muddy waters after being blocked from crossing the border bridge leading to Ciudad Hidalgo. International media, quoting Mexican authorities, reported that around 200 who made through the border were later detained.

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Commenting on the situation to international media, a Honduran vendor said that Mexico’s president had claimed that he would give them jobs and opportunities but nothing of that sort happened. She also revealed that she had left her six children at Honduras and would never go back to them. Meanwhile, Mexico’s National Immigration Institute had issued a statement after Monday’s mass migration. The statement said that Mexican authorities will detain any migrant without legal status, hold them in detention centres and deport those who did not legalise their status. Another migrant, Tania told international media that she believes that Mexico is trying to trick the migrants. She added that the authorities first tell the migrants to enter the country legally and then deport them back.  

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All this comes amidst the growing pressure from US President Donald Trump who had instructed its neighbour to slow the surge of undocumented migrants who arrived at the US Mexico Border last year. In May 2019, Trump threatened Lopez Obrador’s government to impose new tariffs if it did not slow down the influx of migrants. 

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(With inputs from AP)