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At one point, several dozen migrants attempting to travel north sang the Honduran national anthem at the edge of the Suchiate muddy river between Tecun Uman (Guatemala) and Tapachula (Mexico).
Their journey continued one day after members of the provocative caravan rushed to the border gates to be stopped by rows of Mexican riot police who dispersed tear gas and smoke into cartridges.
The slow procession into the north led President Donald Trump to threaten to cut aid to Central American countries and send troops to the US border if Mexico failed to stem the tide.
"Our message is that we are not criminals," said Honduran migrant Orlean Herrera. "We come here because we need a better life, which is why we are here."
On Saturday morning, the bridge swarmed with men, women, teenagers and children.
The Mexican authorities began Friday to let a small number of migrants, starting with women and children, near the Tapachula bridge, where they took the bus to the refugee camps.
Others, singing and applauding, crossed or crossed a steel door on Friday until the riot police repelled them with tear gas and smoke. The video showed that coughing and crying migrants collapsed on the bridge. Several police officers and an unknown number of migrants were injured.
It was not clear how many migrants would cross the border and how long this process would take. Mexican authorities have stated that they will allow migrants to enter the country if they have a valid visa or meet other conditions.
The leaders of the region have publicly urged them for several days to turn around.
Pompeo: It's an organized effort & # 39;
Four Mexican police officers were injured in the tussle at the Mexican border, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday.
S addressing reporters on a tarmac in Mexico City, where he had met with leaders about the caravan and other topics, Pompeo accused the caravan of using women and children "as shields to make their way ".
"It is an organized effort to violate Mexico's sovereignty," said Pompeo. "We are ready to do everything in our power to support the decisions made by Mexico as to how they will solve this very serious and important problem for their country."
Pompeo said that he had had a "good conversation" with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and that the two countries were jointly focusing on the caravan problem, but that "the Mexican government is making all the decisions to resolve this. problem".
"They are fully engaged, they have sent 500 federated to the southern border," Pompeo said, adding that he wanted to "express his sympathy" for the injured policemen.
"It's proof of what it really is," he said.
Peña Nieto described the confrontation as a "single incident", saying that the migrants did not follow the protocols set up by Mexican immigration agents in preparation for the caravan. He added that some migrants "attacked and even injured" a number of unarmed members of the Mexican police before they could contain the violence.
"Mexico will not allow anyone to enter its territory erratically and even less violently," he said Friday night in a video statement posted on Twitter.
Peña Nieto said that Mexican officials would continue to welcome people traveling with the migrant caravan despite Friday's incident.
"Mexico remains committed to supporting migrants who decide to enter our country while respecting our laws," he said.
Trump, who criticized the caravan with flaming tweets all week, reiterated his threat on Friday, saying that if Mexico does not stop the migrants, it will act more drastically.
"If it does not work, we call the army, not the Guard, but also the army, and we will have the army stationed," Trump said. "They are not going to this country, they might as well turn around."
Clash on the bridge
Members of the caravan gathered Friday morning in the border town of Tecun Uman. They waited under a sweltering heat – with temperatures in the mid-80s and a humidity of 70% – for hours for the others to arrive, filling the streets for blocks.
They crossed the gates on the Guatemalan side of the border around noon on Friday (2 pm ET), cheering and chanting slogans as they walked. Celebration air horns sounded as they headed for Mexico's port of entry.
When they reached a padlocked steel fence near the Mexican side of the bridge, the large number of migrants allowed them to break through.
The Mexican police rejected them. Hundreds of Mexican federal police sealed the border as drones and helicopters hovered over the crowd.
At least a dozen migrants jumped into the river. We did not know if they were trying to swim on the Mexican side of the border, to return to Guatemala or just relieve themselves of the crowd.
Some of the migrants on deck told CNN that they had joined the caravan, desperate for work and having other choices.
Will they reach the US border?
Mexican authorities have not said whether members of the caravan would be allowed to travel to the US border.
They previously explained how they planned to respond to the group, stating:
• Anyone with a valid visa will be able to enter and move freely.
• Anyone who wishes to be recognized as a refugee or beneficiary of "additional protective measures" must do so individually. Those who do will be retained "in a migration position" for up to 45 working days.
• Anyone who enters "irregularly" will be "saved and subjected to an administrative procedure and, if necessary, will be returned to his / her country of origin in a safe and orderly manner".
This seems to be a change from previous policies, in which humanitarian or transit visas were issued and migrants had the opportunity to continue their journey northward if they did not want to apply for asylum in Mexico .
This spring, when another caravan of Central American migrants crossed Mexico, such policies allowed this group to travel to the US border.
The formation of this caravan comes just weeks before the mid-term elections in the United States, during which many Republican candidates echo the message of the President on strengthening border security and security. fight against illegal immigration.
Honduran and Guatemalan leaders speak
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez arrived in Guatemala on Saturday to meet his counterpart, Jimmy Morales, to work on "implementing a strategy and logistics for the return of Honduran migrants". Hernandez said on Twitter.
Hernandez also asked Guatemala for permission to send Friday Civil Protection personnel to assist Honduran migrants in Guatemala, according to several publications on his official Twitter account.
In addition, Hernandez asked for permission "to hire ground transportation for those wishing to return home, even by airlifting special cases of women, children, elderly and elderly. sick, "he said, thanking the Guatemalan government for" all the attention given to our Honduran brothers. "
Bill Weir from CNN, reported in Tapachula, Mexico, and Michelle Mendoza from CNN en Español, Tecun Uman, Guatemala. CNN's Ray Sanchez reported and wrote from New York. Catherine E. Shoichet, Jennifer Hansler, CNN Betsy Klein and Julian Quinones also contributed to this report.
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