1st wave of migrants reach Mexico City
: The first Central American migrants from a caravan traveling through Mexico towards the United States in hopes of seeking asylum arrived in Mexico City on Sunday, taking up temporary shelter at a sports stadium.
More than 1,000 Central Americans, many fleeing gang violence and financial hardship in their home countries, bedded down at the stadium where the city government set up medical aid and food kitchens.
Ahead of US congressional elections this Tuesday, President Donald Trump has warned repeatedly about the advance of the caravan and ordered thousands of troops to the Mexican border, where units strung up razor wire this weekend.
The migrants arrived in the capital, nearly 805 km from the closest border crossings in Texas, four weeks after setting out from the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula.
PENTAGON BAULKED AT TROOPS REQUEST
Pentagon officials declined a preliminary Trump administration request for the US military to build facilities to house detained migrants as part of its new mission on the Mexican border, US officials said.
The disclosure by officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, illustrates the tension within the administration over using military resources to fortify the border against illegal immigration, a top election issue for Trump camp.