WASHINGTON (SBG) - Immigration activist Irineo Mujica is leading a group of thousands of Central American and Haitian migrants through Mexico. Mujica has reached out on social media to gather other migrants and has estimated the group could grow to 10,000 people in the next week.
“We're seeing some of the same organizers that are doing this that we've seen before," said former acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan to The National Desk’s Jan Jeffcoat. “We're seeing an increase of violence that we haven't seen before, and we're also seeing some towns within Mexico basically closed down because they're concerned about additional infectious disease and violence and crime that's coming to their cities.”
Some claim that the organization of the caravan is part of a negotiating tactic for Mexico.
“It seems to me that Mexico is using the caravan as leverage with the United States, otherwise the 18,000 Haitian that made it to Del Rio, Texas would not have made it that far,” said Tony Payan of Rice University.
But Morgan says the issue is “more nuanced.”
“Law enforcement in Mexico are trying to reduce some of the migrant caravans that are coming through,” said Morgan. “But there’s going to be a limit to what Mexico is going to do.”
According to Morgan, Mexico has “been very clear that the catastrophic crisis” at the border is due to the Biden administration’s border policy.
“Mexico should not be the only one trying to stem the flow, but this country is doing everything to actually encourage mass migration,” said Morgan.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as well as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later this week to discuss a number of issues including migration.
“This is not just an American issue. This is a regional crisis,” said Morgan. “[President Obrador] has been very clear. And I think he's going to continue to be clear with President Biden, that it’s your policies that caused this, you need to change something to assist Mexico.”