Migrant Caravan Headed for US Border Has ‘Zero Chance’ of Entering, DHS Chief Warns

A large migrant caravan from Honduras has crossed the border into Mexico and is headed for the southern U.S. border, Homeland Security officials confirmed Sept. 29.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is tracking the group, which left San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Sept. 20, and is closely engaged with international partners to monitor its movements for any developments, the agency said.

The agency will not allow anyone in the group to cross the border, officials said Tuesday, and plans to block the group from entering.

Anyone attempting to illegally enter the United States will be apprehended, prosecuted, and removed, a DHS spokesperson said.

“DHS is playing lockdown defense at the border. We will use every Weapon at our disposal, from A to X, to keep Americans safe,” a DHS spokesperson told The Epoch Times. “Migrants considering making the dangerous journey to our country should also be aware that the days of ‘catch and release’ are over, and Biden’s disastrous open border policy has been SEALED SHUT.”

The group, which calls itself “Fe y Esperanza” meaning “Faith and Hope,” is estimated to include about 300 people, according to Oaxaca Capital, an online news source in the southern Mexico city of Oaxaca.

“Some of its members have indicated that they are seeking to reach the United States, while others plan to stay in Mexico and look for job opportunities,” Oaxaca Capital posted on social media. “It is also reported that migrants who were previously deported from the United States are now attempting to resume their journey northward.”

The caravan entered Mexico from Guatemala via a bridge in Suchiate and walked more than 12 hours to reach Tapachula. They stayed in Oaxaca for several days and received care for exhaustion, dehydration, blisters, and foot injuries, the city said.

Humanitarian organizations provided first aid, medications, water, food, and hygiene items to the men, women, and children from several countries in Central America that made up the group, the city reported.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen said the DHS is in communication with the Mexican government about the group.

“The caravan has zero chance of coming into our country,” Mullen told Newsmax on Monday. “I’ve been talking with the Mexican government and we actually have been watching this caravan for quite some time.”

Mexican authorities are helping to break the caravan up because they understand the migrants will cause a crisis at their border, Mullen said.

Mullen said he planned to deploy resources from the Department of War, Homeland Security, and the Coast Guard to ensure no one from the group crosses the border.