Migrant caravan: Asylum seekers travel through Mexico as Trump walks back suggestion that migrants throwing stones will be shot at border
Critics say the president is stoking fears about the caravan for political reasons ahead of midterm elections
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Thousands of refugees and migrants from Central America are walking and hitchhiking northwards through Mexico, with Donald Trump walking back his suggestion that any migrants found throwing stones at the US border could be shot by the military.
In addition to this original group, more than 1,000 migrants in a second caravan that forced its way across the river from Guatemala have begun arriving in the southern Mexico city of Tapachula.
President Trump made clear Thursday he will do everything in his power to stop them, dispatching extra troops, threatening to shut border entirely and saying in an afternoon press conference the military would consider rocks thrown at active troops "firearms". He later said that no migrants would be shot by the American military, but that anyone throwing rocks would be arrested.
The issue is being amplified by the president with less than a week before the midterm elections, and various sources have implied or stated without proof that Democrats and progressive donors are somehow funding the caravan that is composed of individuals and families fleeing dangerous conditions in their home countries in Central America. Others, including Mr Trump, have claimed — again, without proof — that the caravan includes "Middle Easterners". The president also indicated that he has no proof that Middle Easterners are in the caravan.
While numerous news outlets and watchdog groups have tried and failed to find proof for those claims — and none has been provided — Republicans clearly see a winning strategy in trying to tie Democrats to the caravan.
In the contentious Texas Senate race, for example, Senator Ted Cruz has attacked his Democratic opponent, Congressman Beto O'Rourke, and claimed that his campaign has been funding the migrant caravan. That statement was not substantiated with evidence that any of that financial support has occurred.
To see how the day unfolded, follow our live blog below.
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Greetings from Washington DC, the nation's capital, where the nation's president is busily seizing on the issue of the migrant caravan - an act, critics say, intended to stir up his base ahead of the midterm elections. In a similar, anti-immigrant vein, the president has also threatened to end birthright citizenship and demand that only babies born into the US to parents in the country legally, have the right to citizenship
This is the story of a single mother from Honduras, Rose Gomez, who left her two children behind with their grandmother, to join the caravan. Here, she explains why she felt she had no alternative but to do so:
Under pressure from the US, Mexico has offered temporary work permits to migrants who register for asylum. The plan also envisages temporary ID cards, medical care and schooling but to qualify, migrants must remain in Mexico's southern Chiapas and Oaxaca states
And it could be, Mr Trump plans to send even more troops to the border, though be warned - this comes from Fox News:
The Associated Press said the caravan is currently in or around the city of Santiago Niltepec, which is located in the state of Oaxaca, and about 250 miles from the city of Oaxaca itself
Following Mr Trump proposal to end birthright citizenship, Republican senator Lindsey Graham says he will propose legislation in the senate that mirrors the president's plan, according to Reuters
Vice president Mike Pence is also supporting Mr Trump's plan, though no surprise there. He said the proposal may not conflict with the US constitution, despite what many experts say. "The Supreme Court of the United States has never ruled on whether or not the language of the 14th amendment, subject to the jurisdiction thereof, applies specifically to people who are in the country illegally,” he said in an interview with Politico
The AP now says the caravan is continuing its slow advance towards the Oaxaca state city of Juchitan, which was devastated by an earthquake last September. Migrants along the highway on Tuesday have been stuffing themselves into truck beds and sprinting alongside semi-trailer rigs, trying to grab hold and pull themselves up, the news agency said
Important to note that not everyone on the right agrees with Mr Trump's view that the caravan:
More than 1,000 migrants in a second caravan that forced its way across the river from Guatemala have now begun arriving in the southern Mexico city of Tapachula, the AP has reported. The first contingents began arriving to camp out in Tapachula's main plaza on Tuesday
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