MEXICO CITY

Hundreds of migrants departed from Chiapas state in southeastern Mexico on Wednesday with the intention of reaching the nation’s capital, Mexico City, to settle there.

As foreigners and asylum seekers continue to be turned away under US border and immigration policies, many migrants now see Mexico as a destination rather than just a transit country.

Local reports estimate the caravan at around 300 people, primarily from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The group departed from Tapachula -- a city on Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala that has become a key point in hemispheric migration.

Unlike previous caravans, the newly formed group aims to reach Mexico City rather than the northern border as US President Donald Trump continues his crusade against immigrants.

Speaking to Anadolu, Gabriela Hernandez, the director of Casa Tochan -- a migrant shelter in Mexico City – explained the reason for the shift in destination for many asylum seekers.

“Because Trump has been decisive. Not only did he remove the CBP One app, but he also toughened the entire process of migrating legally.

“Obviously, those coming in that caravan can't return to their countries, which is why they see Mexico as an option. Besides, we already know -- even if it’s kept under wraps -- that Mexico has been accepting deportees from the United States who aren’t even Mexican. So Mexico ends up with both those being returned and those trying to arrive," she said.

Beyond the dismantling of legal pathways such as CBP One -- the US Customs and Border Protection app launched during President Joe Biden’s administration to help migrants schedule asylum appointments -- the Trump administration has also resumed deporting non-Mexican migrants to Mexican territory.

“The Mexican government continues with its approach of ignoring migrants. In no speech or political discourse does it address foreign migration, as if it didn’t exist. This makes it clear that it won’t take them into account, which is the most serious issue for people who have no other option but to stay in Mexico,” Hernandez added.

Echoing the US government’s tough approach, Mexico has increasingly moved to restrict migration. In an effort to placate Trump’s threats of imposing tariffs, President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration has deployed large numbers of military troops to control both borders. Raids on migrant camps at key entry points such as Tapachula and Mexico City have also intensified.

The caravan itself has been targeted by these policies. Mexican authorities recently arrested Luis Garcia Villagran, a well-known human rights defender of immigrants and organizer of the caravan.

Villagran, who has been vocal in criticizing the Mexican government’s anti-immigrant stance, was detained by local police on Aug. 5 in Tapachula after announcing the caravan's formation.

Human rights groups and migrant advocacy organizations have condemned his arrest as part of a persistent pattern of criminalization against those who defend migrants and asylum seekers in Mexico.

“Civil society organizations, collectives and human rights defenders express our concern over a pattern of criminalization against those who defend and support migrants, as part of the growing crackdown on immigration worldwide,” said a joint statement by several civil organizations in response to Villagran’s arrest.