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What we know about the migrant caravan waiting at the Texas-Mexico border

The roughly 1,600 migrants, who are mostly Honduran, are being housed in a former warehouse in Piedras Negras — and being guarded by Mexican law enforcement — while they wait to be let into the U.S. But processing is slow.

by Julián Aguilar and Miguel Gutierrez Jr. Feb. 8, 2019 Updated: Feb. 9, 2019

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U.S. border patrol cars were seen through the fence of the bridge connecting Eagle Pass, Texas, with Piedras Negras, Mexico, near the banks of the Rio Grande on Feb. 7, 2019.
U.S. border patrol cars were seen through the fence of the bridge connecting Eagle Pass, Texas, with Piedras Negras, Mexico, near the banks of the Rio Grande on Feb. 7, 2019. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

For the sixth straight day since arriving at the Texas-Mexico border, roughly 1,600 Central American migrants intent on seeking asylum in the U.S. are playing a frustrating waiting game in Mexico.

The migrants, who are mostly Honduran, are being housed in a former warehouse in Piedras Negras — and being guarded by Mexican law enforcement — while they wait to be let into the U.S.

But U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are only able to process about 20 of the migrants a day, CNN reported, meaning progress is exceedingly slow and tensions are high. Only a limited number of the migrants who have been given humanitarian visas by the Mexican government can leave the makeshift shelter; some others have asked to be returned to their home countries, the AP reported.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has joined the U.S. Border Patrol in stationing agents in Eagle Pass, Texas — on the banks of the north side of the Rio Grande. They're meant to deter any migrants who might choose to cross the river instead of waiting their turn in Mexico.

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“As part of our border security plan we keep DPS on the border with boats & planes. They work with local & federal authorities to enforce the law,” Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted alongside a picture of the law enforcement buildup.

State Rep. Poncho Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass, said the agencies’ show of force so far has had the desired effect: to promote order and prevent a large number of migrants from crossing the river.

Nevárez, who chairs the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, was in Eagle Pass on Friday for a briefing that also included U.S. Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Homeland Security and local officials. He said he expected parts of the migrant caravan to splinter off and try to cross the river if U.S. authorities continue processing applicants at the current pace.

“The longer you stay over there, you become prey,” Nevárez said, referring to the omnipresent criminal gangs that go after migrants in Mexican border towns. “That desperation will lead them to not wait to see if they are one of the 10 or 15 or 20 that cross a day.”

It’s unclear how long the Mexican government will be able to provide for the large group or if officials there will begin to deport some of the asylum-seekers back to Central America.

Moises Santos Canales, 17, of La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras, has been detained at the migrant shelter in Piedras Negras for a week. “We are not delinquents," he said. "When we go out to buy food, they escort us with police. We don’t have anything. I just want to work in the U.S. and send money to my grandmother in Honduras.”

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The latest caravan has caught the attention of President Donald Trump. He referenced the group during Tuesday’s State of the Union address as he explained why he continues to push Congress to fund his long-promised border barrier.

His administration has deployed 250 active-duty military personnel to Eagle Pass to assist in border-security operations.

A U.S. border patrol agent stands at the limit of the U.S. and Mexico border in Eagle Pass. Concertina wire can be seen to the left of the officer. Feb. 8, 2019.
Mexican police and military line the exterior of the shelter currently holding an estimated 1700 migrants. According to the Ministry of Public Security of Coahuila, JosÈ Luis Pliego, the situation in Piedras Negras is under control, but the shelters are at capacity. ìWe have all six of the shelters in Piedras Negras at maximum capacity. This shelter is also at maximum capacity. This shelter was built specifically for the caravan.î  Feb. 9, 2019.
Moises Santos Canales, 17, of La Ceiba Antlantida, Honduras, has been detained at the migrant shelter in Piedras Negras for a week. He previously spent five months in Tapachula, near the Mexico and Guatemala border. When asked about the caravan, Canales stated, ìWe are not delinquents. When we go out to buy food, they escort us with police. We donít have anything. I just want to work in the U.S. and send money to my grandmother in Honduras.î Feb 9, 2019.
Texas State Troopers and U.S. border patrol vehicles park along the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass. Feb 9, 2019.

Scenes from Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, just across the border from Texas, on Feb. 8 and 9, 2019. Miguel Gutierrez/The Texas Tribune

Read related Tribune coverage

  • U.S. Supreme Court denies Trump administration request to immediately enforce new asylum rules
  • With federal agents redeployed to manage migrant caravan, Texas border-crossers expect long holiday waits
  • Mattis calls deployment to border "great training" as he visits troops in Texas

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