About 3,000 migrants were on their way to the US southern border by foot Sunday — as some made clear they wanted to reach the country before November’s election and a possible Donald Trump victory.
The caravan of potential border-crossers from a dozen Latin American nations embarked on the trip from Mexico’s southern border in hopes of seeking asylum in the US before Trump could harden the border if he wins the White House for a second time.
“We are running the risk that permits [to cross the border] might be blocked,” El Salvador migrant Miguel Salazar said.
He said he’s afraid a potential Trump administration could halt asylum-seekers from booking appointments through an app to enter the US legally by scheduling appointments at border posts where migrants can plead their case for asylum.
The app, called CBP One, works once migrants set foot in Mexico City or other northern Mexican states.
“Everyone wants to use that route” Salazar, 37, said.
Cuban migrant Oswaldo Reyna, 55, had harsher words for Trump as he took exception to the GOP nominee claiming migrants are trying to “invade” the US.
“We are not delinquents,” he said.
“We are hard-working people who have left our country to get ahead in life, because in our homeland we are suffering from many needs.”
Trump and his pick for vice president, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have both vowed to crack down on migrant crossings if they win the White House.
It’s unclear who Trump, 78, will face in the high-stakes election after President Biden said Sunday he would end his reelection bid.
Biden, 81, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run for the Oval Office instead, but she still needs to clinch the nomination from party members.
The Biden administration — including Harris — has faced immense criticism for weak border policies that have led to a record-breaking number of migrants entering the US.
The 3,000-person caravan left from the Mexican town of Ciudad Hidalgo, which borders Guatemala, with some waiting there for weeks in hopes of getting permits to travel further north.
With Post wires.