ARRIAGA, Mexico — The thousands of migrants traveling through southern Mexico toward the United States border poured into the rail town of Arriaga on Friday, filling the town’s main park and the surrounding streets, clustering together in spare shade under a torridly hot sun.



Their arrival came a day after news broke in Washington that President Trump was considering sealing the southwestern border to all migrants. But the revelation barely registered here. The migrants had other things on their minds.

With their arrival in Arriaga, on the 15th day of their journey, they had reached a literal and figurative crossroads.

The town has historically been a place of big decisions for migrants making the northward trek from Central America.