SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — A new caravan of asylum seekers from South and Central America is making its way from Mexico’s southern border toward the U.S.
Its final destination remains unknown, although Tijuana could be the finish line.
According to Enrique Lucero, director of the Migrant Affairs Office, they are working with shelters in Tijuana to prepare them from a wave of migrants who might be coming.
“I don’t think they’ll come here, but we have to be ready,” said Lucero. “Migrants tend to opt for areas where there are no artificial barriers that’s why they often choose to cross the border in places like Juarez, Piedras Negras and Nogales, Sonora where all they have to do is cross the Rio Grande and wait to get picked up by Border Patrol.
Lucero stated the migrant caravans are usually made up of people who would rather cross the border immediately and seek to get processed right away, instead of waiting up to six months for an appointment secured on the CBP One online application.
This app gives asylum seekers appointments to approach a port of entry for an initial screening by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services personnel.
If a migrant’s story is deemed credible, they are allowed to stay in the U.S. and begin the asylum cases in court, which can take years.
“On the app there’s no barrier to jump over and risk your life,” said Lucero.
He also said if migrants do arrive in Tijuana, they’ll likely go to the mountains and cross near Jacumba, California where there are gaps in the border fencing system.
According to Lucero, Tijuana’s 33 shelters have capacity for up to 5,000 migrants, which is about 1,000 more than the current population.
“We should have enough room if we get this wave of migrants in our city in the coming weeks,” said Lucero.
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