Mexico blocks migrants from crossing border span
CIUDAD HIDALGO, Mexico — Mexican authorities closed a border entry point in southern Mexico on Saturday after thousands of Central American migrants tried to push their way across a bridge spanning the Suchiate River between Mexico and Guatemala.
Normally, migrants who want to request asylum in Mexico are allowed to freely cross the bridge. But many migrants prefer to pass through Mexico en route to the U.S.
On Saturday, hundreds of Mexican National Guardsmen blocked the path of thousands of migrants. Guatemalan authorities estimated 2,500 migrants were on the bridge over the Suchiate, or attempting to get onto the bridge.
As the crowd swelled, amid shoves, Mexican officials allowed several dozen migrants to enter the country in groups of 20, while a voice over a loudspeaker warned migrants against trying to slip into Mexico without passing through immigration filters.
Mexico again finds itself in the role of immigration enforcer as Central Americans desperate for a better life try to make their way north, while Mexico's biggest trade partner — the United States — insists that Mexico prevent those migrants from reaching the U.S. border.
Mexico's National Migration Institute said via Twitter on Saturday that it had reinforced multiple points along the country's southern border to assure "safe, orderly and regular immigration." It also said it was using drones to monitor the region.
Hundreds of guardsmen lined the river to prevent migrants from crossing into Mexico clandestinely. The voice on the loudspeaker warned, over and over, that those aiming to transit through Mexico may not be granted asylum in the U.S., even if they make it there.