16 November 2018•Update: 17 November 2018
By Emre Aytekin
ANKARA
A caravan of migrants mostly from Central American countries en route to the U.S. has reached the Mexican city of Tijuana bordering the U.S. on Friday.
Around 2,000 migrants that are part of a larger 7,000-strong caravan have reached the region, city officials said.
As the city has a capacity to host only 700 people, authorities opened a stadium and a sports complex for the use of migrants.
The migrants are expected to wait at the border for days as U.S. border officials can handle around 100 migrant applications daily.
According to the UN, among the migrants were around 2,300 children.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been very vocal about the caravan, calling it an “invasion” and saying it will be met by the military.
“Many Gang Members and some very bad people are mixed into the Caravan heading to our Southern Border. Please go back. You will not be admitted into the United States unless you go through the legal process. This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!" he tweeted.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon said most of the 7,000 troops being deployed to the U.S. border with Mexico will not be armed.
The caravan is comprised of around 3,500 people as it draws near the U.S. border. While beginning in Honduras, it reached a peak of 7,000 people as many from other Central American nations joined in the 1,553-mile (2,500-kilometer) journey to reach the U.S. by foot.
The caravan mostly consists of Hondurans who are fleeing from violence and poverty in their home country.
On Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced they will be closing multiple lanes at their ports of entry in anticipation of the migrant caravans.
