Members of a large group of migrants traveling north toward the US southern border are eager to enter the country before the upcoming election, fearing that Trump might fulfill his promise to close the border if he wins in November.
Hundreds of migrants from around a dozen countries set out on foot from Mexico’s southern border on Sunday, aiming to reach the US, according to the Associated Press.
Miguel Salazar, a migrant from El Salvador, expressed his concerns, saying, “We are running the risk that permits (to cross the border) might be blocked.” He added that he feared the Trump administration could stop granting asylum appointments through the CBP One app, which allows migrants to schedule appointments at US border posts to present their asylum cases.
The app becomes usable once migrants reach Mexico City or northern Mexican states. Salazar said, “Everyone wants to use that route.”
Trump has emphasized that closing the border would be a top priority if he returns to office, criticizing Biden’s border policies for allowing record numbers of illegal immigrants. In March, Trump stated, “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, which included 20 promises such as “Seal the border, and stop the migrant invasion” and “Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.”