Migrant caravan: Tijuana declares humanitarian crisis, asks for international help

Rafael Carranza | The Republic | azcentral.com

The mayor of Tijuana declared an international humanitarian crisis on Thursday over the arrival of more than 5,000 mostly Central American migrants traveling in a caravan.

The migrants have streamed into the border city in the past week to seek asylum in the United States.

During a press conference Thursday, Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum asked international groups like the United Nations to step in help the city deal with the influx of migrants, amid a lagging response from the Mexican federal government, which he accused of neglecting their responsibilities to deal with migrant and immigration issues.

"They have categorically omitted and not complied with their legal obligations," he said. "So we're now asking them and international humanitarian aid groups to bring in and carry out humanitarian assistance."

MORE: Busloads of migrants arrive as Tijuana shelter overflows

For years now, large numbers of migrants have flocked to Tijuana in their quest to seek asylum at border ports of entry along Southern California.

But the pace of arrivals increased this year with the organization of several migrant caravans, whose intended destination has been this border community. Since last week, more than 5,000 migrants who took off from Honduras in October arrived in Tijuana, raising tensions with local residents and straining government services.

The municipal government estimated it has spent nearly $27,000 daily to house and care for the nearly 4,700 migrants currently in the city. They are housed mostly in the Unidad Deportiva Benito Juarez, a sports complex converted into a makeshift shelter, but well over capacity since the start of the week.

"I will not compromise public services," Gastelum told reporters from city hall. "I will not spend Tijuanans' money, I will not bring Tijuana into debt now, in the same way, we haven't done so these past two years."

The Baja California state government also asked the federal government to step up its assistance. State officials have allocated resources, and opened shelter space in the nearby city of Mexicali, 90 miles away. That city, and state capital, is the last stop and staging ground for the waves of migrants seeking to reach Tijuana.

READ MORE: More migrants staying as Mexicali braces for second caravan arrival

The state government estimates there are at least 1,500 migrants currently in Mexicali, with a second caravan making its way to the city. But an increasing number are opting to stay there, rather than face additional hardships in Tijuana.

Gastelum has drawn criticism, as well as support, in recent days over his approach to the migrant caravan. Last week, he was spotted wearing a red hat that reads "Make Tijuana Great Again," in reference to President Donald Trump's election slogan.

That coupled with widespread coverage of an anti-immigrant march in Tijuana and anti-immigrant sentiment flooding social media have garnered attention since the caravan's arrival in Mexico.

Migrant caravan: More busloads of people arrive in Tijuana, Mexico Hundreds more migrants arrived to the already-crowded shelter in Tijuana late Tuesday night. The shelter is over-capacity.