South Stream: how Washington is going to defend itself from the “caravan of migrants”

The caravan of illegal migrants "under no circumstances" will not cross the US border. This was stated by the head of the State Department, Mike Pompeo.

“I repeat - the caravan will not illegally cross our border under any circumstances. If you want to get here, go through the normal process for refugees. The migrant caravan violates Mexico’s sovereignty, laws and immigration procedures. President Trump will not allow this to happen ... We believe that the Mexican leadership knows the best steps to resolve the situation, and we expect timely action on their part, ”Pompeo quotes RIA Novosti.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump threatened to turn to the armed forces and close the southern border of the United States with the help of the military.

The caravan of refugees from Central America, which continues to move towards the southern border of the United States, has more than 7 thousand people, according to the Associated Press.

The nearest border crossing in McAllen, Texas, is 1,830 km, but this distance can double if migrants decide to cross the border at a checkpoint on the Tijuana-San Diego highway.

In the spring of 2018, the first caravan of illegal immigrants, consisting of 1,200 people, also headed for the checkpoint in Tijuana, but, according to the Associated Press, only 200 people were able to reach it.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Mexico, 1,128 people have already broken off from the current stream, who have applied for asylum in this country.

“We just want to find a job. And if there is a job in Mexico, then we will remain here, ”the Associated Press quoted Luis Espana, a laundress from Guatemala, as saying.

The basis of the current caravan is refugees from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Many of them joined the march as it advanced through the countries of Central America.

The Washington Post newspaper reports that among the participants in the caravan are people who had previously been deported from the United States by the US migration authorities. As one of the examples, the newspaper cites 29-year-old Imner Fuentes, who was deported six times already.

“Just such a situation: they catch you, and you are trying to get back,” the migrant told the publication.

He was echoed by another member of the caravan - 36-year-old day laborer Job Reyes, who was deported for violating the visa regime.

“It’s time for me to go back to the United States. In this country, I can live normally, which is not true of Guatemala. When I heard about this caravan, I realized that this was my chance, ”the Washington Post quoted him as saying.

No help

US President Donald Trump announced that his administration will stop providing aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador as punishment for the flow of illegal migrants.

• Many of the caravan participants have already been deported from the US by migration authorities.
• Reuters
• © Ueslei Marcelino

“Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador could not prevent people from leaving the territory of their countries and did not go illegally to the United States. Now we will significantly reduce or stop the allocation of funds under the international assistance program, ”Trump wrote in his Twitter.

It has been shown that it’s possible to make it out.

According to Bloomberg, these Central American states receive more than $ 500 million in aid per year from Washington. However, Trump has not yet clarified how much this amount will be reduced.

All the migrants from this caravan, who were interviewed by journalists from the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Associated Press, indicated their desire to get a job as the purpose of their trip to the US, which is not a legitimate reason for obtaining refugee status.

Election march

In addition to the states of Central America themselves, Trump laid the responsibility for the caravan of migrants and on his political opponents - the Democratic Party.

“Democrats openly invite millions of illegal migrants to violate our laws and borders. They like these caravans. And now many are wondering: “I wonder who started it all?”, Said Trump at a meeting with voters in the state of Nevada.

Such a presidential statement was supported by other republican politicians. For example, Florida congressman Matt Gates posted a video in his Twitter, in which unknown people allegedly handed out money to the people of Honduras for a trip to the United States.

“This is filmed in Honduras. You see how money is distributed to women and children so that they can join the caravan and storm the US border during the midterm elections. Soros? American NGOs? It's time to figure out who is behind this, ”he wrote in his comments on the video.

BREAKING: Footage in Honduras giving cash 2 women of the United States border @ election time. Soros? US-backed NGOs? Time to investigate the source! pic.twitter.com/5pEByiGkkN

Actor James Woods, one of the few Hollywood celebrities who openly support Trump and the Republicans, also expressed doubt that the appearance of this caravan is spontaneous, and linked his appearance at the US borders with the upcoming congressional elections.

“Think about this: the distance from Tegucigalpa in Honduras to Phoenix in Arizona is 2 thousand miles. It is very difficult to believe that a bunch of people suddenly decided to wrap up their sandwiches and walk this distance. Where does this crowd sleep, go to the toilet, get water and food? They need to walk 20 miles a day for a hundred days, without rest, to be here. That is, it should obviously take more than three months, but I guarantee you that they will miraculously appear at our borders in the midst of elections, ”the artist wrote on his Twitter.

Oh, and the “spontaneous mob” for the consecutive days. It is obvious that we’ve seen at the midterm election week. #FakeInvasionhttps: //t.co/CninzLIbNA

The statements of Donald Trump and his supporters are not unfounded, says Maxim Bratersky, a professor at the Higher School of Economics.

“Trump said he would send as many soldiers to the border as needed. The US military is rude people and will not follow the path of European border guards, who are letting everyone in everywhere, and can start shooting. Then Trump will become a bloody murderer of women and children, so the provocation is very good, ”the expert shared his opinion in a conversation with RT.

The concept of a society that moves from one place to another by caravans may well be attributed to the program of George Soros and the Clinton Democrats, Bratersky added.

“The mainstream media in the United States is on the intellectual-democratic positions, so Trump will definitely be criticized for his approach to this issue,” explained the political scientist.

“Vulgar approach”

At the same time, such a march of migrants from Central America to the United States is not something unique, said RT Professor Vladimir Davydov, faculty of world economics and world politics, told RT.

• Trump said he would send “as many soldiers as necessary” to the border with Mexico in order not to allow the “refugee caravan” to illegally enter the United States.
• Reuters
• © Leah Millis

“This is a situation that affects both Europe and the Middle East, this is evidence of extreme inequality in the modern world. If we want to remedy this situation, then this inequality needs to be overcome. So far it is only multiplying. The spread of information systems creates a so-called demonstration effect - people see that there are countries with the possibility of a prosperous life. People in countries that have suffered from civil conflicts, foreign interventions also look at this. Central America is one of those regions, ”explained the expert.

The consequences of the events of the 1970s and 1980s in these states, in which the United States was directly involved, have been felt through the generations, Davydov noted.

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“It is this generation that today is following the migration column in the USA. Unfortunately, now is not the best time to positively evaluate the leaders of the modern world. The US administration is too vulgar in addressing the migration problem, too simplistic, ”he said.

According to Professor Davydov, this issue is a whole complex of problems that cannot be solved at the same time simply by putting a wall on the border with Mexico.

“By accusing its southern neighbors, the United States, in the face of the current administration, is perverting the historical truth. After all, the contribution to the civil wars and troubles in Central America by the American establishment, corporations and agencies, such as the CIA, is very large, ”concluded Davydov.