Caravan Update: Tijuana is Not Happy

dw.com

dw.com

Denise Najera, Sports Recorder

The migrant caravan has made its way to Tijuana, Mexico. But the people there are not happy about it. Tijuanenses have made it very clear, they do not welcome the caravan with open arms and frankly, want them gone.

NPR

On Sunday, the people of the city stood protesting against the migrating groups. Citizens held signs saying things such as; “No illegals”,  “No to the invasion”, and “Mexico First”. Others wore the country’s colors – red, white, and green – in jerseys of the soccer team or other outfits involving the colors. Crowds shouted “Ti-Jua-Na!” or “Me-xi-co!” and also sang the national anthem multiple times.

“We want the caravan to go, they are invading us,” said Patricia Reyes, a 62-year-old protester. “They should have come into Mexico correctly, legally, but they came in like animals.” 

cbc.ca

Tijuanenses are complaining that the the people on the caravan are dangerous and all they’re doing is taking up their money. Tijuana is low on income as it is, people are afraid the caravans are bringing them down even more. Not only that, but it is said that the caravan is harboring more than 500 criminals. 

The revelation was made during a conference call with reporters, with officials asserting that “most of the caravan members are not women and children”. They claimed the group is mostly made up of single adult or teen males and that the women and children have been pushed to the front of the line in a bid to garner sympathetic media coverage.

ctvnews.ca

Although, not all the people in Tijuana agree with the protesters. People are heard shouting from the houses at the protesters to let the caravan be.

“Tijuana is a place that welcomes anyone, but you must have papers, you must identify yourself,” demonstrator Magdalena Baltazar said on Sunday, as she waved a Mexican flag and marched through the city. “We work hard here. We don’t get handouts. The government shouldn’t be giving things to migrants when plenty of Mexicans are in a difficult position.”

foxnews.com

U.S. authorities closed off the busiest port of entry along the U.S. border with Mexico on Sunday and fired tear gas at members of a Central American migrant caravan who had rushed the fencing that separates the countries. Things got crazy when a few of the migrant people began to jump the fences and run through car lanes in an attempt to get to the United States. Women and children are seen choking on tear gas -the above photo has since gone viral of a woman running with her twin daughters from the gas.