Nearly 9,000 people try to reach the US in a migrant caravan

Most Central American countries are facing a crisis unprecedented in recent history. Apart from the health crisis caused by the global Coronavirus pandemic, which also unleashed a gigantic economic crisis, countries such as Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua felt the impact of several natural disasters (hurricanes) in November 2020, worsening the situation and leaving thousands of families affected.

Due to current circumstances in Central America, the first migrant caravan of 2021 left Honduras with almost 9,000 people, including children, adults and entire families. They plan to cross the borders of Guatemala and Mexico without legal documentation to reach the US and request international protection through political asylum.

People in the caravan argue that they need to leave their country due to lack of resources and to flee from famine and violence. Besides that, they state that the local government does not offer them basic services to survive in the midst of a global health crisis.

On Saturday, January 16, the migrant caravan reached Guatemala’s borders, where local authorities, including military forces, dispersed it and plan to deport as many immigrants as possible to Honduras to prevent another massive outbreak of Coronavirus and prevent them from reaching the US without legal documentation.

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Immigrants await new opportunities with Biden

The most recent presidential elections of the US took place on November 3, 2020. The American population elected Joe Biden, who belongs to the Democratic political party, as the country’s 46th president, who is taking office today, January 20, 2021.

Since the president-elect sees immigration as something positive for the US, not only for the economy but also for social inclusion and multiculturalism, the migrant caravan hopes his government will offer them more alternatives to apply for political asylum, work and legally reside in the country.

However, the Biden administration has openly explained that “repairing the damage” caused by the Trump administration on the political asylum process will not be as fast as immigrant communities hope. In fact, a Biden administration official asked the migrant caravan not to come to the US during Biden’s first days in office since “The situation at the border isn’t going to be transformed overnight.”

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Mexican President asks the US government to reform immigration policies

Apart from Guatemala, Mexico also intends to cooperate to stop the migrant caravan coming from Honduras amid the health emergency caused by COVID-19.

In fact, the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (also known as AMLO), asked the incoming US government (Biden-Harris) to improve the immigration system and reform local policies to prevent irregular immigration amid the global pandemic and protect the resources of each Central American country.

The Mexican president stated: “In Joe Biden’s campaign, he offered to finalize immigration reform and I hope that he is able to achieve this. That is what I hope (…) I think the time has come for the commitment to be fulfilled, and that is what we hope.”

It is important to clarify that the Biden administration plans to help the Central American territory to improve local conditions, offer a better quality of life to its inhabitants, improve the economic system and prevent illegal immigration.

Take expert advice during your immigration journey in the US

Now that Joe Biden is the president of the US, the immigration system is likely to change drastically over the next four years, depending on his ideals and goals. Therefore, it is essential to follow the advice of experts when submitting your immigration application, who are up to date with current policies and will help you choose the process that best suits your needs.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.