Thread by @DaveNYviii

African Migrants March North!
Early Saturday morning African migrants in #Tapachula joined a caravan consisting primarily Caribbean and Central American migrants marching north to demand an audience with AMLO in Mexico City. Caravan numbers from 2-3,000.

Mexican officials decided to let the caravan leave Tapachula in order to relieve pressure on the immediate area.

Pro migrant Mexican press has reported that the caravan is heading to Mexico City enroute to Tijuana and the U.S. Border. However, there are unconfirmed reports that the National Guard plans to detain and encircle the caravan now that it is out of #Tapachula. Will keep tabs.

Mexican immigration officials plan to reduce the caravan that left from #Tapachula by attrition via checkpoints that'll separate and deport the undocumented. Large numbers of Africans are dropping out of the caravan now comprised of mostly Central Americans.
per @oscarBL78494898

Breaking- Mexican National Guard Ready to Block the Caravan!
National Guard units have closed off the highway to stop the caravan of African, Caribbean and Central American migrants from reaching their first destination in Huixtla.

Mexican Federal Police and National Guard on the move!
The caravan from Tapachula stalled after getting wind of the roadblock along the highway. The National Guard have been methodically advancing along the highway towards the caravan. #Tapachula #Huixtla

The National Guard used a leap frogging tactic by first establishing a road blocks like thus. Once the block is established new units advance to set up the next one. #Tapachula #Huixtla

Mexican National Guard advance makes contact with Tapachula migrant caravan. Caravan organizers have the Africans marching in front of the caravan of 2-3,000 that consists primarily of Central American migrants. #Huixtla #Chiapas

Tapachula Caravan is on Stop!
National Guard, the Federal Police and the National Migration Institute halted the progress of the migrant caravan in the community of Xochiltepec, in the municipality of Huehuetán. #Chiapas
animalpolitico.com/2019/10/carava…

Mexican National Guard is dismantling the caravan!
After allowing the caravan to walk all day National Guard units surrounded it and began dismantling operations. Exhausted migrants are being given rides back to #Tapachula UNDOCUMENTED HAVE BEEN DETAINED
chiapas.quadratin.com.mx/opinion/guardi…

The caravan is a big stress test for Mexico. It is the first one that has tried to form up since President Trump's tough immigration agreements were made with Mexico and Central American nations. I am watching it and the African migrants closely.

The caravan and it's organizers were stress testing the new system. They met a wall of disciplined Mexican National Guardsmen and their Federal Police allies. They made the migrants walk all day then swooped in before they could reach their goal at Huixtla.

Caravan organizers have large facilities to cater to large numbers of migrants but they are much further north out of reach.

Coyotes will cannibalize the caravan to peel off much smaller groups that can pay. They stash these smaller groups in human smuggling safe houses.

A large part of dismantling a caravan is cutting it off from food. This operation did that by intercepting the caravan before it could reach the next town and major source of food. A caravan, like all armies both big and small, marches on it's stomach.

What is interesting to note about this caravan is how the Africans march in the front, about 1,000 of them. What is not readily seen are the balance of the caravan comprising of two to three times that number.

Reviewing Mexican media reports one would think the caravan is comprised of mostly Africans when it is not. They use photos from the front of the caravan where Africans are instructed to march. Here is a photo of the middle of the caravan that I had to look hard to find.

Mexican Immigration officials released the following brief statement regarding the return of migrants to Tapachula. What the INM did not make public is the number of migrants who were detained in the operation, or how they will be processed. #Tapachula
animalpolitico.com/2019/10/operat…

Mexican National Guard "No one is coming to trample our country, our land,"

Resolute message from Mexican National Guard platoon leader yesterday prior to descending upon the Tapachula caravan. #Tapachula

The National Guard blocked and rounded up the caravan. They trained in the area and knew it well. They even covered the dirt roads and hiking trails. INM came through with 60 vehicles that took the migrants back to square one in #Tapachula. xeu.mx/nota.cfm?id=10…

The operation was clean and smooth and an excellent demonstration of Trump's immigration agreements. The caravan was the first tried since those agreements were made. It failed badly. #Tapachula

The caravan organizers were the hardest hit especially the front man
Luis García Villagrán. He is a hero like figure for immigration activists. The spotlight is on him and his backers. The pressure is on them to deliver all the promises they made to the #Tapachula caravan.

Meanwhile the Mexican Secretary of the Interior, Olga Sánchez Cordero, said that the federal government would integrate foreigners into welfare programs to get them off the streets and into the system.

Mexican media is attacking AMLO blaming Trump. Asserting that AMLO is doing Trump's bidding. They blame the agreement he made with Trump.

We have yet to see the new agreement in detail. I imagine there is a provision in there for aid that demands it go to certain programs. We have a good deal of leverage with regards to aid. Aid is the carrot and tariffs are the stick.

Trump's immigration agreements south of the border are they new reality. That reality is beginning to settle in hard. The African migrants this morning are demoralized, tired, hungry, and back to square one in #Tapachula

To make things even more depressing for the migrants the #Tapachula weather forecast calls for two weeks of rain and thunder showers! Ouch!
theweather.com/tapachula.htm