Thousands of migrants are making their way toward the US in last-ditch efforts to cross the southern border before the 2024 presidential election.
The latest in a series of migrant caravans comes with just two weeks until Election Day.
Asylum seekers have expressed concerns about what will happen under a new administration, after former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris both pledged to tighten border security if elected.
What started with about 2,000 people leaving Mexico’s southern border to head north has gradually increased in numbers for those seeking entry before Nov. 5.
Thousands of migrants march in a massive caravan through Mexico to attempt to reach the southern US border before a new administration takes over
What started when 2,000 migrants left Mexico’s southern border has gradually grown as asylum seekers join the caravan
About 8.5 million migrants have crossed the border illegally since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.
Biden appointed Harris as a “border czar” tasked with tackling the root causes of migration – but Republicans say her policies have only led to a bigger crisis.
And Trump agreed that his 2024 rival helped perpetuate the “largest human trafficking situation ever.”
Thousands of asylum seekers are scrambling to see if they can enter the country, ahead of a potentially major shift in border policy.
It’s just the latest example of the widespread impact the 2024 US election will have on the world.
Venezuelan migrant Josman Ramos told the AP: “Whoever wins should not close their doors to us. [they] must give us the support we need because we are all going through a really bad time.”
A caravan of migrants makes its way towards the US southern border with just two weeks until the 2024 presidential election
Trump invited several people to speak at a roundtable in Doral, Florida, on Tuesday, including one who accused Harris of being the biggest human trafficker in history.
“Kamala, where are the children?” he asked. “These people Kamala, Biden, they are the biggest human traffickers in history.”
Trump underscored the accusation without directly repeating it when he said, “325,000 children are missing, sex slaves or dead.”
“Slaves, sex slaves, missing or dead,” Trump repeated.
If Harris wins, Americans will expect more of the same open border policies.
Meanwhile, if former Trump wins a non-consecutive term in 2024, he would return to a more aggressive policy that would close the border and trigger widespread deportations of those living in the U.S. illegally.
“We will carry out the largest deportation of criminals in American history,” Trump said at a September 18 rally in New York City — something he has said during many campaign speeches.
As many asylum seekers flee oppressive governments and dangerous living conditions, they are headed to a country where most voters say they want stricter policies to keep out the flow of migrants across the southern border.
Both Harris and Trump have promised tougher policies — but Republicans think Harris would keep current lax laws in place.
“Those who unlawfully cross our borders will be apprehended, removed and barred from returning for five years,” the vice president said in her Sept. 27 speech in the border state of Arizona.
Migrants and asylum seekers worry about what will happen in the US elections as both candidates promise to tighten the southern border
Harris was appointed “border czar” by President Joe Biden, but the vice president has faced widespread criticism over his handling of the crisis.
Since Biden took office, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has encountered approximately 8.5 million migrants seeking asylum or illegally crossing the southern U.S. border
Trump has made migration, illegal immigration and the crime committed by these individuals a centerpiece of his campaign since he first ran for president in 2016, and he promises to restore order if he gets another term.
This is happening despite the fact that CBP has reported the lowest number of border crossings since 2020, with only 54,000 apprehensions in September.