An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 Central American migrants have crossed the Guatemalan-Mexican border and are marching toward the U.S. President Donald Trump contends that there are terrorist elements within the migrant mass heading toward the border.
In a tweet Monday, Trump had said that “Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in” with the migrant caravan. (RELATED: Train Of Central American Migrants Swells In Number Despite Warnings From Trump)
Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy. Must change laws!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2018
Late Monday, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was asked by reporters at the White House about the claim. Sanders said that “absolutely” she has evidence of the claim and that “we have 10 individuals, suspected or known terrorists, that try to enter our country illegally every day.”
Sanders says @POTUS “absolutely” has evidence of “unknown Middle Easterners” in the Central American caravan. “We have 10 individuals, suspected or known terrorists, that try to enter our country illegally every day.” She says @POTUS has been talking about it for a long time. pic.twitter.com/tglRM5kYbG
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) October 22, 2018
(NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
Trump also challenged a reporter while leaving the white House. “Do you have any evidence that there are terrorists part of this caravan?” reporter John Karl asked Trump Monday outside of the White House. (RELATED: Bangladeshis Joined Migrant Caravan In Guatemala, Univision Correspondent Reports)
“You know what you should do, John?” Trump responded.
“Go into the middle of the caravan, take your cameras and search. Okay? No, no. John, take your camera,” Trump continued, interrupting the reporter. “Go into the middle and search. You’re going to find MS-13. You’re going to find Middle Eastern. You’re going to find everything. Guess what? We are not allowing them in our country. We want safety.”