DONALD Trump has issued a dire threat as a gigantic group of migrants makes its way through Mexico towards the United States border.

The US President tweeted that he would now begin cutting aid to the troubled countries from which the thousands of migrants who have joined the so-called “caravan” fled.

He said the United States would start “cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid” it gives to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, as punishment for their failure to stop their citizens from flooding to the US-Mexico border.

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

Every time you see a Caravan, or people illegally coming, or attempting to come, into our Country illegally, think of and blame the Democrats for not giving us the votes to change our pathetic Immigration Laws! Remember the Midterms! So unfair to those who come in legally. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2018

Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S. We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2018

Mr Trump said people should “think of and blame the Democrats” for the caravan, “for not giving us the votes to change our pathetic Immigration Laws”.

He hit out at the Mexican authorities for failing to stop the group, saying he had alerted Border Patrol and Military of a national emergency, and claiming the migrants included “criminals and unknown Middle Easterners”.

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Honduras-born caravan leader Denis Omar Contreras hit back at Mr Trump’s assertion, saying: “There isn’t a single terrorist here.”

He said the participants were all from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. “As far as I know, there are no terrorists in these four countries, at least beyond the corrupt governments.”

media_camera The migrant ‘caravan’, which has grown to around 5000 people, walks into the interior of Mexico after crossing the Guatemalan border on Sunday. Picture: John Moore/Getty Images

media_camera A furious Donald Trump has said he will cut off aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador over their failure to stop the caravan. Picture: Saul Loeb / AFP

Associated Press journalists travelling with the caravan for more than a week said they had also not met any of the “unknown Middle Easterners” or “hardened criminals” Mr Trump has said are among the migrants.

Mexico’s president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called for fair treatment of the migrants. “We don’t want them to face what (Mexicans) face when they need to look for work in the United States,” he tweeted.

Distressing images have been pouring forth of the marchers, some of them families with young children or pregnant women, all so desperate to escape their countries they are risking their lives on an arduous journey over thousands of kilometres.

media_camera The route the migrants have taken on their arduous journey over thousands of kilometres, which has already lasted more than a week.

The footage promises to be a key issue in the November 6 elections, with Mr Trump telling voters to “Remember the midterms!”

Both Republicans and Democrats are already using the dire situation as a political weapon to win the support for their immigration policies.

The caravan formed in Honduras more than a week ago with fewer than 200 members, but their numbers had swelled to between 5000 and 7000 by Sunday as they made their way through Guatemala.

Police blocked the border between Guatemala and southern Mexico, but many participants found ways to cross over into the country, swimming or rafting across the Suchiate River that separates the two countries.

Officials said they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people.

media_camera The President said he has alerted border patrol and the military to a ‘national emergency’ as desperate families head to the US. Picture: Orlando Sierra / AFP

media_camera Honduran migrants camp at the main square in Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, on Monday. Picture: Johan Ordonez / AFP

While around 2000 have reportedly turned back, hundreds continue to join the march through Mexico. On Monday, the caravan was deciding whether to rest in the southern Mexican town of Tapachula or keeping walking, with more than 1000 kilometres still to cover.

Days of walking in blazing sun and sleeping on the streets has left many sick, injured or hobbling on blistered, lacerated and infected feet. Some Mexicans have offered them food, water and clothing, or taken them some distance in their vehicles.

The migrants are fleeing countries ravaged by drug and human trafficking, gang violence, corruption and abject poverty.

media_camera Thousands of Central American migrants are marching towards the US border in search of a better life. Picture: Johan Ordonez / AFP

media_camera Authorities in Guatemala and Mexico have failed to stop the surge of desperate people. Picture: AP Photo/Moises Castillo

Despite its homicide rate dropping in recent years, Honduras still sees 43 murders per 100,000 citizens, making it one of the most violent countries in the world. In comparison, the US homicide rate is 5.3 per 100,000 people.

The US gave more than $1.25 billion of aid to the three countries in 2016 and 201, according to the United States Agency for International Development. The aid is intended to fund counter-drug activities, education and nutrition — programs designed to help citizens of those countries remain there and lead better lives.

media_camera A Honduran pregnant woman waits to cross the border from Ciudad Tecun Uman in Guatemala, to Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on Monday. Picture: Orlando Sierra / AFP

Jose Anibal Rivera, from Honduras, crossed into Mexico by raft on Sunday and walked to Tapachula.

“Anything that happens, even if they kill me, is better than going back to Honduras,” the 52-year-old unemployed security guard told AP.

Ana Luisa Espana, a clothes washer and ironer from Guatemala, told the agency: “The goal is to reach the (US) border. We only want to work and if a job turns up in Mexico, I would do it. We would do anything, except bad things.”

media_camera Honduran migrants cross the Suchiate River between Guatemala and Mexico in makeshift rafts to join the migrant caravan. Picture: Orlando Sierra / AFP

media_camera Many of those travelling have families, and the distressing images are becoming a political football ahead of the midterm elections. Picture: Orlando Sierra / AFP

Julio Asturias, 27, a migrant from San Juan, El Salvador, said he was deported from the US a couple of months ago after police pulled him over for a burned-out tail light. “I want to return to Arizona, and when I heard that the caravan was passing, I joined it,” he said.

Aaron Juarez, 21, was with his wife and baby and limping because of an injury. “No one is going to stop us after all we’ve gone through,” he said.

Honduran farmer Edwin Geovanni Enamorado said he was forced to leave his country because of intimidation by racketeering gangs. “We are tired, but very happy,” he told AFP. “We are united and strong.”

Britany Hernandez said: “We have sunburn. We have blisters. But we got here. Our strength is greater than Trump’s threats.”

While unlawful migration to U.S. from Central America is caused by real crisis,the migrant “caravan” was manufactured by supporters of a radical agenda who are using poor & desperate people to try & embarrass & undermine the U.S. in the region. But it’s going to backfire on them. — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 22, 2018

Fox's Chris Stirewalt says the quiet part loud: The caravan is good for Republicans because "you have video every day of a scary-looking thing, a mob of humanity driving towards the U.S. southern borders."



That's a great description of Fox programming the last several days. pic.twitter.com/XCjEi3HPdg — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) October 22, 2018

This caravan is different to previous ones because of its sheer size, and the fact that it has grown to an unprecedented scale through word of mouth. In May, a caravan of around 1200 people headed north from Guatemala — but only around 150 reached Tijuana.

This one started in San Pedro Sula in northern Honduras, after a call on social networks to join a “Migrant march” was shared by a politician. “We’re not leaving because we want to, but because we are being expelled by violence and poverty,” the advert read.

Bartolo Fuentes — a member of leftist former president Manuel Zelaya’s Freedom and Refoundation Party — told AFP he only reproduced the poster on his Facebook page.

The horrifying images are already becoming a political football for Democrats and Republicans as the midterms loom, with both sides placing blame on the other for the chaos.

Mr Trump began ramping up the rhetoric on Sunday, tweeting that the caravan was the “Democrats’ fault for weak laws!” and “a disgrace to the Democrat Party.”

media_camera Hundreds have turned back, but more continue to join the caravan along the way. Picture: AP Photo/Moises Castillo

media_camera A Honduran migrant carries a baby in Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, as the caravan heads toward the US-Mexico border. Picture: Pedro Pardo / AFP

media_camera Honduran migrants board a truck in Metapa on their way to Tapachula. Picture: AFP

Republican senator Marco Rubio claimed the caravan had been “manufactured by supporters of a radical agenda who are using poor & desperate people to try & embarrass & undermine the US in the region.”

But media expert Matthew Gertz said footage of the “mob of humanity driving towards the US” would benefit the GOP, by stoking fears over migration.

Irineo Mujica, from humanitarian group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, said: “It is a shame that a president so powerful uses this caravan for political ends.”

He said “hunger and death” had prompted the migration, adding: “No one is capable of organising this many people. Nobody. It’s an exodus.”

— with wires

media_camera Mexican police guarding the road said their instructions were to maintain the flow of traffic, not to stop the caravan, as the tide of people floods past. Picture: AP Photo/Moises Castillo

media_camera Central American migrants walk north toward Tapachula, after departing Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, Sunday. Picture: AP Photo/Moises Castillo

Originally published as Trump threat: ‘We’ll cut them off’