The organizers of the train of thousands of Central American migrants headed for the United States advised the travelers to take a break Sunday after hearing that a child had been abducted somewhere along the way.
Several migrants reported a child missing late Saturday night, according to The Associated Press, causing the caravan to decide to temporarily pause for a meeting in Tapanatepec, a southwestern Mexican town about a thousand miles from the U.S. border.
The report also states that the Mexican government appeared to be directly helping the migrants in their travels. The Grupo Beta, Mexico’s migrant protection agency, was seen giving rides to stragglers and distributing water.
At the caravan’s regular evening meeting, a nun reportedly reprimanded the men in the group who often take advantage first of the trucks that offer rides, saying they should instead let the women and children hop in.
Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the U.S., travel aboard a truck in Mapastepec on their way to Pijijiapan Chiapas state, Mexico, on Oct. 25, 2018. — Thousands of Central American migrants crossing Mexico toward the United States in a caravan have resumed their long trek, walking about 12 hours to their next destination. (Photo by Johan ORDONEZ / AFP)
The nun told the AP that her church would be organizing five trucks to carry the migrants for the next 33 miles to Niltepec, but only the women and children.
A few migrants disagreed with this strategy, with one man saying they’re all struggling equally while another woman appeared to imply that it was dangerous for the women to be alone without the men.
“I don’t agree that it should only be women with children,” said Rosa Bonilla, who is traveling with her two young children. “If we go alone anything could happen.”
Hector Alvarado, a 25 year-old Honduran man who quit school and left his wife and children at home to make money in the U.S., also disagreed with the plan.
“To me it’s bad because there has to be equality because we are all struggling on this path,” he said, according to the report.
Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S., get on a truck, near Pijijiapan, southern Mexico on Oct. 26, 2018. — The Pentagon is expected to deploy about 800 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, two U.S. officials told AFP on Thursday, after President Donald Trump said the military would help tackle a “national emergency” and called on a caravan of U.S.-bound migrants to turn around. (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP)
Martin Rojas of Grupo Beta said the organization was also planning to organize trucks to pick up stragglers who have fallen behind the caravan. (RELATED: Train Of Central American Migrants Swells In Number Despite Warnings From Trump)
“There are people fainting, there are wounded,” Rojas told The Associated Press.
Mexican police have begun to let the caravan pass freely through the country, deciding that the heat and harsh conditions were not safe to hold them up in.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced the “You are home” project Friday, which offers shelter, schooling and jobs to the migrants if they agree to stay in Mexico rather than proceeding to the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration are reportedly preparing an executive order to close the border and no longer offering asylum, claiming national security risks.
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