Tijuana Mayor Asks for Help as Thousands of Migrants Gather in City

TIJUANA, Mexico—More than 2,400 migrants, mostly from Honduras, had reached the Mexican border city of Tijuana by the evening of Nov. 17, with thousands more expected in the coming days.

The majority are bunking down in tents and cots at a municipal sports complex in the Zona Norte district of Tijuana, located adjacent to the San Ysidro border crossing.

Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum is pleading to federal authorities from both Mexico and Honduras to help as his city is inundated with migrants.

“The federal government permitted the migrants to move through the country without controlling the situation—the whole way until they reached our city,” Gastelum said in a statement on Nov. 16.

“That’s why we’re asking for help with the migrants. I’m going to see if the citizens of Tijuana want to keep accepting migrants, but for now we won’t deny aid.”

Later in the day, Gastelum said he had met with the Honduran ambassador, Alden Rivera Montes, who assured him that the Honduran government would take responsibility for the basic humanitarian needs of the migrants.

The mayor said the Honduran ambassador also promised to set up a mobile consulate and begin to identify all the migrants.

“Everyone in Tijuana has friends and family that come from other states in Mexico, but those who come to generate disorder will not be tolerated,” Gastelum said.

Rogelio Contreras Garcia, Tijuana municipal police communications officer, said seven of the migrants had been arrested in the previous two days for minor offenses such as marijuana possession.

A police officer stationed at the migrant camp told The Epoch Times that he has overheard members of the caravan boasting that they are part of the violent MS-13 gang.

Although Mexico has offered asylum, including work and shelter, to the migrants, most refused and continued to head toward the U.S. border.

Tijuana police officials said local residents plan to protest the migrants on Nov. 18.

Kimberly Hayak contributed to this report.