Trump wants to stop migrants with soldiers at the border

KShortly before the important US congressional election, President Donald Trump stressed his tough stance on the so-called caravan of migrants. "In the face of this national emergency, I am using the armed forces and they will be arrested," he wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Meanwhile, the group of thousands of people from Central America continued its march through Mexico to America.

"To those in the caravan: Go back, we do not leave people illegally in the United States," wrote Trump. "Go back to your country and if you wish: ask for citizenship like millions of other people". Migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala are fleeing violent crimes and the deplorable economic situation in their country of origin.

Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, told Fox News Channel television that her home had sought help from the Department of Defense, including air support, logistics, planning and vehicle bans. Two government officials said Nielsen's request could also include the deployment of 800 to 1,000 soldiers.

According to media reports, the Pentagon was already preparing to send 800 additional troops to the southern border with Mexico. Defense Minister James Mattis is expected to sign a decree soon, CNN and the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing government officials.

According to the reported information, the additional soldiers are not supposed to badume the tasks of the security authorities, that is to say do not stop the migrants. CNN said they should provide logistical support to border guards and fences at key points of the border.

At present, there are already 2,100 national guards at the border who had been sent for a different order of April. They also provide logistical support.

The theme of Trump's election campaign

Trump made migrants again and again the subject of the election campaign before congressional elections and greatly exaggerated the situation. He spoke of an "attack on our country" and a "national emergency". Finally, he also said that among the migrants there were also people from the Middle East and had therefore insinuated unfair motives for their march towards America. He has not provided any evidence on this subject.

In any case, it is difficult to know if and when migrants could reach the border. From southern Mexico to there depending on the route between 2000 and 4000 kilometers. On Thursday, 100 of them returned to Honduras.

However, most went to Pijijiapan, in the state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico. Mexicans have provided water, food and blankets to migrants at various points along the way. "These people are in a difficult situation," said Alberto Bermúdez, a water distributor. "I decided to come with my family to help, we can do little for her, we hope to never find ourselves in such a situation."

While the group, which is expected to contain between 3,600 and 5,400 people, continued to walk north, a second group was already waiting at the southern border of Mexico.

"There is a caravan of 2,000 people," said Honduran Misael Guevara in Ciudad Hidalgo, on the border with Guatemala. With hundreds of other people, he waited in a park for the arrival of the new group. "We are brothers and we go together," he said.