Caravan of migrants heading to US border fear Trump, hope to get in before election

Members of a large group of migrants traveling north toward the US southern border are hoping to get into the country before the election over concerns that Trump will follow through on his vow to close the border if he wins in November.

Hundreds of migrants from around a dozen countries left on foot from Mexico’s southern border on Sunday in an attempt to reach the US, the Associated Press reported.



Miguel Salazar, a migrant from El Salvador, said, "We are running the risk that permits (to cross the border) might be blocked." He added that he feared Trump’s administration could cease granting asylum appointments through the CBP One app, which allows migrants to schedule appointments at US border posts to make their cases as to why they should be granted asylum.

The app begins working once migrants reach Mexico City or northern Mexican states. Salazar said, "Everyone wants to use that route."

Trump has stated that closing the border would be a top priority in office, as Biden’s border policies have allowed in record numbers of illegal immigrants. In March, Trump said that "Among my first actions upon taking office would be to do a little thing that sort of sounds like common sense. Not conservative, not progressive, not liberal. A thing that probably works for most of the people in this room. Seal the border and stop the invasion of our country."

In early July, the Republican National Committee approved a Trump-endorsed party platform, with one of the 20 promises including to "Seal the border, and stop the migrant invasion." The list also included the vow to "Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history."