Police and security forces began closing the US-Mexico border almost immediately after Donald Trump’s inauguration, despite this, a caravan of migrants moved towards the border.
During the inauguration, the new US president said he would declare a state of emergency at the border between the two countries and use the army to curb illegal migration. Trump said he was beginning “the process of putting millions and millions of criminals back where they came from,” adding that the US would rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
Immediately after his speech, police officers began sealing off the US-Mexico border. Despite this, at midnight, a caravan of migrants moved from the Mexican city of Tapachulu in southern Mexico towards the US border, CNN reported.
According to the TV channel, the caravan consists of about three thousand people – citizens of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Cuba. so they decided to protest against Trump’s immigration policy.
Videos from the Mexican-American border appeared on social networks.
One of the caravan participants told the media:
“We are not going to harm this country. We don’t want to harm anyone in the United States, and I understand their fear.”
According to her, the migrants want to come to the US to work.
In his inauguration speech, Trump also promised to declare a state of emergency on the border with Mexico over migrants and deploy the army to deter them.
Former US Defence Secretary Mark Experian, who held office under Trump as far back as 2022, described how the Republican asked him about the possibility of launching missile strikes on facilities in Mexico to “destroy drug labs.” In response to objections, according to the Examiner, Trump said:
“We could just shoot some Patriot missiles and take out the labs, quietly. Nobody would know it was us.”
Donald Trump has raised the topic of changing US foreign policy towards Canada and Mexico in recent months. In November 2024, Trump said he would impose new tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada on the first day of his presidency to force them to crack down on illegal immigration and drug smuggling into the US.
In December, Trump announced his intention to deport about a million people from the US, with talks underway with Mexico and El Salvador. Trump also seriously stated in an interview with NBC News that Mexico and Canada could become part of the US.
Voice from Europe
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, leader of the party Debout la France (France Arise), wrote on X:
“An incredible speech by Trump, who gives himself the labour to defend Americans and restore freedom of speech. From now on, the French must elect a president who will give a big kick in the ant hill and finally protect their countrymen.”
