'I believe in the American dream:' Woman, 19, traveling alone in a caravan with 3,500 migrants, including 1,200 children, begs Mexico's president to not block their journey to US border
- A caravan of about 3,500 migrants in Huixtla, Mexico, resumed its journey towards the United States border on Wednesday
- The group is made up of migrants from Africa, Central America, Haiti and South America
- The migrants are said to be planning to reach Mexico City to apply for asylum and also obtain a permit for free transit through the country
- By obtaining the travel permit, the migrants' said goal is to reach to the United States and request asylum from the Biden Administration
- The group, includes 1,200 children according to Univision, and finds itself on its fourth day of traveling by foot in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas
A young migrant woman spoke for the aspirations of thousands in the latest caravan marching toward the US border as she pleaded for Mexico's president to provide safe passage so she and the others could attain the American dream.
The 19-year-old woman, identified only as Christina, was near the front of the caravan pressing north from Chiapas city of Huixtla to the Villa Comaltitlán by Wednesday afternoon.
Mexican news station Imagen TV reported that the migrants were taking a break from the 10-mile trek and were planning to advance to Escuintla, a neighboring town in Chiapas some 16 miles away.
Christina told Univision morning show Despierta America that she 'clearly believed' in the American dream and hoped the leftist leader will 'allow us to cross' after rumors had surfaced that National Guardsmen and Institute of National Migration officers were positioned to turn them back.
It's quite a necessity, and we will accomplish it,' she said.
A spokeswoman with the Institute of National Migration declined to comment to DailyMail.com.
Mexican news network Foro TV showed images of migrants camping out under trees and protecting themselves from the sun as temperatures topped 91 degrees, although AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures surpassed 100 degrees.
While the administration of Mexican President López Obrador has for the most part remained tight-lipped over the latest caravan, Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard condemned smugglers and organizers Monday, accusing them of misleading migrants into believing the United States would simply allow them to freely cross the border.
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'We will act with caution, with care for the law and human rights,' Ebrard said.
'But we do want to say that they are deceiving people because it is not true that they are going to let them pass to the United States.'
So far, Christina's group has gained more steam than the other three caravans that were formed by mostly Haitians and were quickly shut down in August and September after security forces and immigration agents clashed with the migrants.
The scene repeated itself over the weekend as the migrants tussled with the National Guard on a highway.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on the Mexican government to investigate immigration agents who had beaten a young boy earlier this week.
'The use of force must be governed by principles of legitimate purpose, absolute necessity, proportionality and progressiveness. The states must investigate, prosecute, punish and fully compensate the #MigrantPeople for violations of their #HumanRights,' the human rights organization tweeted on Tuesday. '
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According to the network, the 3,500-person caravan consists of 1,200 minors although it's unknown if any of them are traveling alone.
The caravan, coined 'Madre Caravana' or 'Mother Caravan,' was formed by organizers who set up a QR code that was initially distributed via a Facebook post back on October 15. Migrants gathered on October 23 in Tapachula, the southernmost city in Chiapas which borders with Guatemala.
The group, made up of Africans, Central Americans, Haitians, and South Americans, reached Huehuetán by Monday and continued on to Huixtla, where they had spent parts of the last two days resting and being treated for leg and foot injuries suffered.
Arleth Chavez from Guatemala has walked with the caravan for about 30 miles since it set off from Tapachula.
'My feet are burning and in pain from the blisters,' said Chavez. 'I'll make it as far as God permits.'
Migrants have denounced the lengthy asylum process in Tapachula, located near Mexico's southern border with Guatemala, and thousands have departed the city in a series of caravans this year, including many families from Haiti.
Some members of the most recent caravan aim to reach Mexico City, where they hope the asylum process might be faster, while others aim to press on to the U.S. border.
Each of them is determined to finish the 1,300-mile journey for a shot of starting anew and providing better opportunities for their families.
'We simply want free passage [through Mexico], we do not want to offend anyone, not even immigration [agents],' Mario López told Mexican news station Milenio. 'We just want to go through Mexico to fulfill our American dream.'
Critics of the unchecked immigration have blasted President Joe Biden for exacerbating the crisis at the border.
The latest CBP southwestern border monthly report showed that U.S. Border Patrol agents registered 1.7 million encounters with migrants attempting to enter the United States via Mexico without legal travel documents.
'These migrants clearly have no regard for the rule of law, our nation's sovereignty, and also should tell us that these migrants are clearly economic migrants, they're not seeking asylum, valid asylum.' said Mark Morgan, who served as the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under former President Donald Trump.
'They're outside the country right now, they've arrived in Mexico, a safe third country where Mexico has said, hey we will give you asylum, but that wasn't their end goal.'
Morgan also ripped Biden for not visiting the border.
'I've been there before ... I know it well ... I guess I should go down,' the president said last week during a CNN town hall.
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