After arriving in Mexico City, the migrant caravan has picked up again en route to the city of Querétaro. Although they are about 700 miles away from the closest U.S. port of entry in Laredo, Texas, caravan coordinators said they would take a longer route to the city of Tijuana, which is at least 1,600 miles away from Querétaro.
As the Central American migrants voted late Thursday night at what time to leave Mexico City, the Trump administration announced new restrictions on asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. The new regulation declares that people can only apply for asylum at official ports of entry. The new restrictions are likely to face major legal challenges as experts say they are in violation of immigration laws. According to Tom Jawetz, vice-president for immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, “[the Immigration and Nationality Act] says very clearly that any person can apply for asylum whether or not at a designated port of arrival.”
With Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives come January, there will be a series of House investigations into Trump and his administration, as well as increased oversight and decreased ability to push through legislation. The new House majority will also likely place a Latin America advocate to chair the Foreign Relations Committee, provide greater accountability on foreign assistance, and act as a balance to the administration’s possible friendship with Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro.
