(NewsNation) — A new caravan of migrants is on the move in southern Mexico with hopes of reaching the United States.
2,000 people began their trek from the city of Tapachula, where thousands of migrants are stranded and frustrated by the slow process of applying for asylum in the U.S.
The caravan that left southern Mexico mostly consists of Venezuelan migrants. The Western Hemisphere remains locked in the midst of an unprecedented migration crisis, which is why Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is in Honduras looking for answers.
In the hopes of discussing regional migration to the U.S. and finding solutions, Mayorkas arrived in Honduras Tuesday afternoon to meet with the country’s president and top leadership.
A big part of the Biden administration strategy when it comes to handling the U.S.-Mexico border has been to focus on Central and South America. The hope has been that the administration can help better the lives of people living there so that fewer will have the reason to make the journey to the U.S.
“Imagine living with no water and no electricity. And no health care and no paved roads. Certainly no car, no jobs and no education,” Karen Godt said. She sees the plight of Central Americans firsthand.
Godt runs the organization Hope for Honduran Children Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping the country’s poor and displaced receive education and opportunity.
In 20 years, she’s worked with over 5,000 children and said it’s no surprise people try to leave.
“These people are dreadfully desperate,” Godt said.
So far this fiscal year, there have been over 1.7 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border. Breaking all records, over 161,000 have been from Honduras.
There’s no silver bullet that solves this whole problem. Every piece helps.
Rodney Scott, former Border Patrol chief, said helping other countries is part of the equation. But he points to the fact that migrants from over 150 countries have been showing up at the border. He contends truly handling the crisis starts and ends with making migrants go to the ports of entry.
“We just expect people to come to the front door, announce their presence, and then we decide who and what enters our country. Right now, they’re not even using our front door. They’re climbing through the windows. They’re coming through our walls. Every place other than the front door,” Scott said.
Mayorkas will conclude his trip to Honduras Wednesday, but it remains unclear if any tangible results will come from this trip.