DHS will closely monitor the caravan of migrants heading to the US border

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen NielsenKirstjen Michele NielsenMcConnell and his wife, confronted by customers of the Bolton restaurant, go to Moscow for a high-risk meeting with Russians Tucker Carlson states that he "can no longer" dine out because the people keep screaming at him MORE said Sunday that the agency was seeking to eliminate potential members of criminal gangs likely to seek to exploit a "caravan" of Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States.

"While keeping a close eye on the caravan crisis, we need to remain alert to transnational criminal organizations and other criminals exploiting the vulnerabilities of those who are embarking on the illegal migration process," Nielsen said in a statement.

"We will work with our partners in the region to investigate and prosecute as much as possible those who seek to encourage and benefit from irregular migration," she said. "We fully support the efforts of Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico to address this critical situation and ensure a safer and more secure region."

Thousands of people from Central America, from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, have been heading to Mexico and the United States in recent weeks as they were fleeing the United States. violence and poverty in their country of origin. These migrants usually travel in large groups for security.

Visitor permits or asylum seekers were granted to smaller groups this weekend, while about 2,000 other migrants crossed a river on the border between Guatemala and Mexico, or crossed a bridge before returning to the Associated Press group reported.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpDemocrats slide in the battle for the Senate Trump believes that the relationship between Kushner and the Saudi Crown Prince is a handicap: the Palo Alto City Council will honor Christine Blasey Ford PLUS, who lobbied for tougher immigration laws, features of his campaign rallies and his Twitter page, has seized on the group of migrants in recent days and warned against threat that represents the "caravan" for the US border.

He used the caravan as a tool for political negotiation, threatening to close the US-Mexico border if the group had not stopped, or to cut off aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador if these countries did not. Did not prevent their citizens from fleeing to the United States

The president put forward a similar group of migrants traveling to the United States in April, using this group to rally support for its border wall and blame the Democrats for the Congress's inaction regarding the laws on terrorism. immigration, despite the fact that Republicans hold majorities in both houses of Congress.

Immigration policy has been a matter of contention within the administration and would have been at the root of an explosive dispute between the chief of staff. John KellyJohn Francis KellyMORE and National Security Advisor John Bolton last week.