Tijuana strained by immigrant caravan
As large numbers of Central American migrants continue arriving in Tijuana in hopes of crossing to the United States, one thing has become abundantly clear: They won’t be leaving anytime soon.
For state and municipal officials, this has prompted growing anxiety about providing food, shelter, health care, and other services while the migrants wait for a turn to apply for asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry — or reach other decisions about their future.
‘‘We’re estimating that they will be here at least six months, and in some cases as long as a year and a half,’’ said Francisco Rueda Gomez, Baja California’s secretary-general.
Five days after an initial group of 77 caravan members arrived in Tijuana, the total by Saturday had reached 2679, according Mexico’s National Migration Institute.
A smaller number, 657, remained in Mexicali, the state capital. More than 3000 others were in the states of Sonora and Sinaloa, and presumably headed to Baja California, an immigration official said.
The Honduran ambassador to Mexico, Alden Rivera Montes, announced the immediate opening of a consular mobile office in Tijuana. He said staff will attend to the needs of Hondurans who make up the majority of the caravan, providing birth certificates and other documents and ensuring their rights in Mexico and as they approach the US border for asylum.
Many Honduran migrants, ‘‘travel invisibly, that is to say without documents,’’ Rivera said.
The growing presence of the Central American caravan members has caused a wide range of reaction in Tijuana over the past five days.
Many are calling for more federal presence and resources to address the situation and state and local officials have asked Mexico’s federal government to provide about US$4 million to support local efforts to house the migrant. They are awaiting a reply.
Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum has criticised Mexican federal authorities for allowing the continued flow to his city. ‘‘Why Tijuana? Why not Matamoros? Ciudad Juarez?’’ ‘‘It’s a tsunami,’’ he said at a news conference. ‘‘This situation is purposely orchestrated, with the intention of harming Tijuana,’’ he said without specifying who might be behind the group.
The mayor is calling for a referendum that would allow city residents to express their concerns about the large number of caravan members ending up in the city. He has also suggested checkpoints at the city’s entrance, but on Saturday called them ‘‘an extreme’’ measure.
– TNS