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People are protesting the presence of Central American migrants in the border town of Tijuana, Mexico, on November 18, 2018. (María De La Luz Ascencio / EPA-EFE / REX / Shutterstock)
Joshua Partlow
Correspondent focused on Mexico, Central America and other regions of Latin America
TIJUANA, Mexico – Last month, generous Mexicans took care of the caravan of migrants from Central America who gave food and shelter to thousands of people heading slowly north to the US border.
Now that the caravan has arrived in Tijuana, an immigrant town, the reception has been significantly cooler. On the US side, the Marines have reinforced the border with additional barbed wire and US authorities have warned that they would not allow large groups of migrants to enter. On the Mexican side, the mayor of Tijuana described the migrants as "tramps" and "horde", and a small group of residents staged a demonstration Sunday morning shouting "No to the invasion" and "They are terrorists. "
Jaime Malacara, 48, who works in private security, joined dozens of people at a roundabout to express his dismay at the caravan. He fears that thousands of people from Central America arrivals include nasty people who will hang out and aggravate crime in an already violent city.
"Imagine if a lot of these villains – not all are mean, but some bad – are starting to gang up here?" Said Malacara. "Those who break the law should not be here."
[At the U.S. border, migrant caravan will slow to a crawl]
The demonstration took place in front of a statue of Cuauhtémoc, an Aztec leader, and dozens of journalists from around the world gathered to monitor the progress of the caravan. The residents of the demonstration mainly worried about the rise of crime, a possible confrontation with the United States and the possibility that other caravans follow if it is allowed to pass.
"We are against uncontrollable migration," said Edgar Martínez, 42, a private school teacher and double American and Mexican citizen.
He feared that the caravan would eventually attempt to cross the US border, prompting the United States to close the legal border on which many people in Tijuana depend for their daily work and errands.
"If they bumrush, they will close the border.This will affect people here," said Martínez. "We sometimes wait until three o'clock to cross the border.We do not want that." he is six.
[Migrant caravan: One reason Central Americans are going all the way to Tijuana to reach the U.S. border? El Chapo.]
Throughout the city, residents who supported migrants and their right to seek asylum in the United States organized a meeting.
Last week, members of the caravan infiltrated Tijuana to take shelter in a sports complex adjoining a highway and the US border fence. Volunteers from religious groups and others donated food and medicine, and entertained migrant children by singing songs and making balloon animals.
Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum was less favorable. He described the influx of migrants as a problem for Tijuana and rejected the claim that many would flee violence and political persecution.
"Human rights should be reserved for the just human," said Gastelum last week.
President Trump seized Sunday's mayor's comments in a tweet: "The mayor of Tijuana, Mexico has just stated that" the city is ill-prepared to handle as many migrants, the backlog could last six months ". The United States is ill-prepared for this invasion and will not tolerate it. They cause crimes and big problems in Mexico. Go home!"
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