Migrant Caravan

In the recent weeks, the migrant caravans from the Central America, through Mexico, to the United States border, have received significant media attention. The exodus from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador isn’t new, but traveling in groups this large is a more recent phenomenon. The migrants are fleeing extreme poverty and violence in their home regions. For these families, they often can’t feed their children and working adults can’t earn enough to get ahead. The violent maras, the organized criminal gang, threaten the lives of children, adolescents and adults. So, they migrant. The International Organization for Migration estimates that 400,000 to 450,000 migrants transit through Mexico each year.

For almost three years, I have volunteered at the FM4 Paso libre, a shelter for migrants in transit and refugees in Guadalajara, Mexico. Through registration at the door, intake interviews and casual conversations, I have learned about their countries of origin, their experience on the migrant trail and their hopes for the future.

For the record, this is my experience. I can not provide a full report of all the details, all the stories, all the factors in this complicated situation. I can’t provide the background on each face I saw, I can’t say what happened to them after they left Guadalajara or speak to international border policies and asylum cases. However, I can share what a saw, snipits of the conversations I had, and disclose my feelings on the situation.

In mid-October, a group gathered together and left San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Their numbers increased as they traveled through Guatemala and into Mexico. Together they formed a caravan comprised of Hondurans, Guatemalans, El Salvadorans and a few Nicaraguans. The group continued to grow and by some estimations had reached up to 10,000. Over half the group was men traveling alone but the caravan also contained many families and women traveling with children.

I’ve been asked, why are migrants now traveling as caravans. Migrating together provides safety. At the FM4 we often receive small groups of migrants that have met up on the journey. Working together, they are less vulnerable to the robberies, assaults and kidnappings that are commonplace for migrants riding la bestia, atop the cargo trains through Mexico. Currently, the large caravan has also afforded them media coverage documenting their experiences and indirectly providing security. The attention from authorities provides some assurances and the caravan also has received humanitarian aid at large government and civil society temporary shelters; such as the Auditorium Benito Juarez in Guadalajara. For a few, the caravan allows them to blend in.

At the FM4 we continued to receive other migrants in transit that don’t want to travel with the caravan. With so many individuals, the caravan advanced slowly. Some migrants travel on their own in order to arrive more quickly at their destination. Additionally, the casas migrantes in Mexico can’t accommodate such large numbers.

The week before, we started hearing more rumors and news reports. On Saturday, November 3rd, during my regular shift at FM4, we watched a news clip on the computer about the confrontations between the police and migrants at Mexico’s Southern border with Guatemala. The news citing between 2,000 to 5,000 individuals. We recalled the previous caravan that made news in June, which largely dispersed along the trajectory. Some of the refugees temporarily residing at the FM4 discussed how they’d all ban together if a few thousand people knocked on the door. One joked, “I’d help in the kitchen, I know what I’m good at.” Another said, “Put me in ropería, I’ll help them get the clothes they need.”

By midweek, the caravan was all the chatter around the FM4. The news reported that a group numbering 5,000 was being sheltered at a stadium in Mexico City; resting and allowing the others to catch up. At this point we didn’t know which route the caravan would take. Up the eastern route was geographical the shortest; however most of the US troops on the border were located in that region. Up the western route was longer and included more desert; however maybe Tijuana was better known for applying for asylum after thousands of Haitians arrived in 2016. Already in social media, I noticed controversy and polarization about migrants. Some only show sensationalist videos to show the best or the worst, rather than informing. These rumors, false information or sensationalist reports hold us back from making informed decisions and opinions about current events.

The Saturday afternoon team of volunteers at the FM4

As volunteers of FM4, we looked to the staff and organization’s assembly to provide accurate information and preparation for the caravan. The FM4 doesn’t have the capacity to house that many (110 overnight, tops) nor the resources as the organization replies on community donations. However the FM4 is a respected organization and advocates for human rights and humanitarian aid. Many unknowns were circulating; when would they arrive? Where would they be received? How were government organizations going to coordinate this? What role would we play as FM4 volunteers?

By the end of the week, it became more certain that the caravan would come through Guadalajara. We heard they were leaving Mexico City; on foot and catching rides. We heard as the passed through Queretaro, then Celaya, then Irapuato as the first group approached Guadalajara. By Friday, the government announced they would provide the Auditorio Benito Juarez, site of the annual Oktoberfest, as a temporary shelter and it would open on Saturday for their arrival. When some migrants were due to arrive in the city before the government shelter at the Auditorio was official opened, the refugees currently living at the FM4 ran out and bought Coca Cola, cigarettes, and potato chips to welcome them.

By Saturday morning, we watched the news footage of the migrant caravan departing Queretaro and Mexico City. I made the mistake of reading the comments below the news clips. Many were filled with angry and hateful messages about migrants, frustrations that the government would support “illegals” (in their words) when the Mexican people have faced their own natural disasters and have millions living in poverty. In my opinion, the government and society have a responsibility to care for others, regardless of nationality, skin color or immigration status.

On Saturday afternoon, I worked my regular shift at the FM4 at the door. We received a few small groups, not traveling with the caravan. A family arrived that had unintentionally separated from the caravan when they caught a ride from Irapuato. We directed them to the Auditorio Benito Juarez that the government authorities had opened that afternoon. We were told a few hundred arrived at the Auditorio on that Saturday and left early in the next morning to continue their journey towards Tijuana.  

The FM4 continued to receive migrants in transit that ride the cargo trains through Mexico

On Sunday I started the morning covering a shift at the FM4. It was a busy morning, over fifty migrants arriving, along with a handful that had inadvertently arrived at our shelter rather than the Auditorio.

In the afternoon, I switched over to help at the Auditorio with some of the FM4 legal team and another volunteer. While the logistics and security of the temporary shelter were organized by government entities, the FM4 supported both in organizing volunteers and in providing information about human rights and asylum process in Mexico. At the stand, we also worked closely with our partners the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).   

Walking up to the Auditorio, we encountered a perimeter of high riot control fence and many officers of local and state police surrounding the grounds. There were two long chutes, like when finishing a marathon, approaching the entrance; one for men, the other for women and children. Migrants arriving, in cars, buses or on foot, were funneled and an official with a megaphone gave a brief welcome and rules of the auditorium.

The auditorium was laid out in sections to provide dormitories for different populations and to provide a variety of services. The largest space was for men along the left side, families on the right and women and children down below in the arena. Medical attention was set up out front and the back area had food services, a few showers and clothing donations. Several large bathrooms were located around the inside of the auditorium.

On Sunday afternoon, there were a few hundred migrants at the shelter. I sat and spoke with several groups, including the family that had passed by the FM4 the day before. They explained that they wanted to return to California where their two daughters are living as US citizens. They preferred to travel with the caravan for safety and described how careful one must be when getting a ride. They described witnessing a young Honduran man from the caravan die when he fell from an overloaded trailer and cracked his skull in Chiapas. A woman traveling with her adult daughters and grandchildren narrated their journey with the caravan and cited how the men on the caravan watched over their safety and helped them on the way. The main struggle for her was trying to get a money transfer from back home to support them on their way. As foreigners with irregular migratory status, it’s very difficult to receive a transfer. Another family said they prefer to travel with the caravan because it doesn’t have as many rules as the strict migrant shelters, like FM4.

On that Sunday the auditorium had almost as many officials, media and volunteers as migrants from the caravan. Some people even came just to observe. Many media channels were recording the happenings, trying to get their evening stories. Some of the migrants and officials voluntarily provided interviews. Other migrants were unwittingly the focus of their productions as the cameras showed the dormitory space and took their pictures without explicit consent.

On Monday, November 12th, I took a personal day from work to be at the Auditorio with the migrants on the caravan and to support the work of the FM4 and the UNHCR. This was the busy day of the caravan. By evening, five thousand migrants would arrive at the auditorium.

In the morning, I “made the rounds” with the FM4 legal team and the UNHCR. We had informal conversations with groups around the dormitories. We asked about their journey and their future plans, shared information about legal processes and human rights, clarified the reality of pleading asylum in Tijuana, and answered basic questions about their potential cases. I believe in arming people with the most accurate information so they can make the best decision for their future; whether that’s returning to their country of origin, staying in Mexico or attempting to go to the United States.

My next task was organizing the volunteers that had offered their time with the FM4. In the days leading up to the caravan, the FM4 published a google form for community members interested in donating their time. I set them up with the DIF Jalisco, similar to the department of social services in the US. Together we reorganized the dormitories to receive more people. The DIF authorities insisted that every blanket or mattress that the migrants had slept on be set aside to be burned. They said new materials would be delivered soon for the arriving migrants. Together with the volunteers and the migrants still at the auditorium, we moved and squished the bedding to make more rows to accommodate the crowds that were expected to arrive that afternoon. Many hands together quickly made this light work. The volunteers were eager to help out and the migrants that had already arrived knew how many of their compañeros were coming behind them.

In the afternoon, the huge rush started to arrive. I was pulled to help at the registration tables at the entrance. The volunteer on the megaphone continued to give a brief welcome and rules speech, but as groups, numbering in the hundreds, continued to arrive the speech got shorter. The migrants waited in the chute until the volunteer pointed to an available registration station. I sat in front of a laptop and repeatedly entered information into a Google Form for each person entering. The questions were brief: gender, age, country of origin, and an inquiry if they needed medical attention.

I sped through the questions, remembering to smile and to say “Welcome” to each person. Almost everyone managed a smile back and a thank you. I can’t imagine how exhausted, sick or in pain, and hungry, they felt. That smile or few words, in my opinion, demonstrated the broader character of the migrant population, their determination, their grit and their perseverance to seguir adelante, to make it. This is the overarching reputation of the caravan that I experienced. I believe that most people do mostly good, most of the time. Later, many social media pages attempted to show a different side.

I saw several hundred people in the hours at registration, about 5,000 arrived total that afternoon and evening. The vast majority came from Honduras but also many were from Guatemala and El Salvador. There were a few Nicaraguans and even a couple of Mexicans as well. About two thirds were men, alone and with families. There were also many women and children. Some pushing wheelchairs, strollers or carrying small children, a few pregnant women were also making the journey. Most were adults and younger but a few elderly also came though. They all carried backpacks or plastic grocery bags. Each one brings their own experiences and reasons for migrating; from the pregnant women, to the fathers carrying toddlers, to the adolescents fleeing the recruitment and threats from the maras. Each one deserves their human rights, to migrant and to plead asylum, to construct a better life.

They were tired. Many were hungry. Many were in pain from blisters and aching bodies. Many requested medical attention for coughs, colds, flus, a few for diabetes and high blood pressure. They trudged passed my registration station, one person or one family at a time. We asked the few questions as quickly as we could, knowing there were long lines of other tired souls that were eager to come inside and sit down. There was a balance with the quick registration; be speedy to process everyone in quickly, but also to treat each as an individual, listen to their responses and welcome them.

All afternoon and evening, the flow of people never really stopped. Sometimes we’d have a few minutes until the front volunteer shouted back, “Tres camiones,” three more buses. At one point the internet went out on a few laptops. I quickly opened an excel sheet to record their answers without making them wait to solve connection problems. Later, I entered them into the Google Form.

After passing through registration, the migrants were greeted by volunteers with poster boards indicating “Men,” “Women” and “Families.” They would take them to their respective dorm areas. They picked up meal tickets. From there they dropped their bags, went to get food or medical care, maybe took a shower, if the lines weren’t too long.

Around 9:00 pm, the flow slowed and I took a short lap around the auditorium. The environment was calm for having over 5,000 people in the auditorium, people were resting on their blankets, playing cards, washing clothes in the sinks, chatting together, sending a text message to family back home. The auditorium was full of security from the local civil protection and state police and I felt safe at the auditorium the whole time. There was also some joyful and energetic groups singing with a visiting church group and kids playing jump rope with some volunteers.

Eventually, I needed to get home to sleep so I could work in the morning. As I lay down in my bed, my head was spinning with all the people that had arrived that day, the reasons they were forced to migrant, the uncertain future that awaited them at the border, mixed with my own appreciation for the privilege I have as an immigrant, the stability and security I have in my life.

On Tuesday I went to work and was surrounded by all sorts of questions from my friends and colleagues. Many wanted to know how to support with donations or to volunteer at the auditorium with the caravan and the next groups anticipated shortly behind them. I was also surprised to hear the negative commentary from others. Some questioned why we should support migrants from other countries when there is poverty in Mexico. My answer is that we’re all human and migrating is a human right. Most don’t want to leave their home but they’re forced out due to the violence and extreme poverty. What parent isn’t going to try to feed their children and give them a better life?

After work on Tuesday, I intended to return to the auditorium to continue our work with the FM4. In the afternoon, I received a message that the government had abruptly closed the temporary shelter after many had left that morning. This news was a shock and seemed sudden after seeing the auditium mostly well functioning the day before. The reasons seemed unclear as it was well known that two more groups were coming closely behind.

In the following days when the next groups approached the city, the government confirmed they would not reopen the auditorium. Instead, they would have “Attention Modules” located on the outskirts of the city to usher them forward to their destination without entering the city. Here, the FM4 sent a few representatives as human rights observers and I did not witness this portion of the caravan.

On the news and social media, I saw many messages over the next days about the anti-immigrant sentiment growing in the city and country. There were posts about migrants being ungrateful and littering and posts about the government offering bussing and then leaving migrants stranded. The comments demonstrated how polarizing the topics of immigration can be. I was surprised to see so much hatred some people in Mexican society, particularly given the frustrations some of them have faced as immigrants and neighbors of the United States. Thankfully many other comments also offered love and support for those on their journey.

The future is uncertain for the thousands that passed through Guadalajara in mid-November with the caravan. Most have arrived in Tijuana and based on the conversations I had at the Auditorium, the majority intend to plead asylum. The situation there is complicated and uncertain. Daily news reports show both the frustrating wait to apply for asylum and the anti-immigrant protests. They twist together an indecipherable mix, romanticizing migration along with honest descriptions of a few migrants’ personal stories. Social media has distorted the truth with posts, not to inform, but to appease what viewers want to see and believe. I encourage those around me, my students, my family, my social media folks, to follow responsible news sources, to educate and inform themselves and to take in media with a critical eye.

My heart is with those migranting. I hope they find a better future for themselves and for their children. I hope for a more welcoming society on both sides of the border. I hope for a change in the political and economic situations that bring peace and opportunities to the communities in Central America. I hope for a world in which one’s nationality, the place they were born, doesn’t hold a person back from a quality life. I hope that together we can create a better future.

Sources and Additional Resources
International Organization for Migration

Instituto de estudios y divulgación sobre migración, AC   

BBC News: Migrant Caravan: What is it and why does it matter?

CBS News: Migrant Caravan Pauses in Huixtla Honoring Man Who Died  

NY Times: Migrants at the Border