Mexican National Guard troops this week blocked a caravan of migrants seeking to breach the country’s border with Guatemala - firing tear gas while dressed in full riot gear.

Now critics say the government’s actions have created a virtual border wall on the country’s southern border with Guatemala.

Hundreds of those detained were put on planes and buses back to Honduras, where the majority began their journey.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had campaigned on a pledge to welcome migrants, but his government’s actions have shifted over the past year.

But some critics say the hostile reaction seen this week was triggered by the Trump administration’s threats of tariffs on goods imported from Mexico, which has created a de facto well on Mexico’s southern boundary.

Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Show all 24 1 /24 Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Central American migrants at the international bridge that connects Tecum Uman, Guatemala, with Mexico AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Central American migrants - mostly Hondurans, travelling on caravan to the US - run after crossing the Suichate River, the natural border between , Guatemala, with Mexico AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico TOPSHOT - Central American migrants - mostly Hondurans, travelling on caravan to the US- cross the Suichate River, the natural border between Tecum Uman, Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 20, 2020. - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by Johan ORDONEZ / AFP) (Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images) JOHAN ORDONEZ AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico TOPSHOT - Central American migrants - mostly Hondurans travelling in caravan to the US- cross the Suchiate River, the natural border between , Guatemala, with Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 20, 2020. - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by Johan ORDONEZ / AFP) (Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images) JOHAN ORDONEZ AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Members of the police try to stop people crossing the Suchiate River EPA Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico A member of Mexico's National Guard detains a migrant Reuters Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico TOPSHOT - Central American migrants - mostly Hondurans travelling in caravan to the US- cross the Suchiate River, the natural border between , Guatemala, with Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 20, 2020. - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by Johan ORDONEZ / AFP) (Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images) JOHAN ORDONEZ AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico A Central American migrant - part of a group of mostly Hondurans travelling on caravan to the US- is detained by a member of Mexico's National Guard after crossing the Suichate River, the natural border between, Guatemala, with Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 20, 2020. - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN / AFP) (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP via Getty Images) ISAAC GUZMAN AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico TOPSHOT - A Central American migrant - part of a group of mostly Hondurans travelling on caravan to the US- carryings a girl after Mexican security forces prevent them to illegally cross into Mexico in Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 20, 2020. - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN / AFP) (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP via Getty Images) ISAAC GUZMAN AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Central American migrants - mostly Hondurans, travelling on caravan to the US- cross the Suichate River, the natural border between Tecum Uman, Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 20, 2020 - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by Johan ORDONEZ / AFP) (Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images) JOHAN ORDONEZ AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico A member of the Mexican National Guard holds a migrant girl Reuters Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico A migran holds a Honduran flag as he cross the Suchiate river Reuters Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico A migrant reacts in Frontera Hidalgo, Mexico Reuters Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Central American migrants - mostly Hondurans, travelling on caravan to the US- cross the Suichate River, the natural border between Tecum Uman, Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 20, 2020 - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN / AFP) (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP via Getty Images) ISAAC GUZMAN AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico TOPSHOT - A Central American migrant - part of a group of mostly Hondurans travelling on caravan to the US- is detained by a member of Mexico's National Guard after crossing the Suichate River, the natural border between, Guatemala, with Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 20, 2020. - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN / AFP) (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP via Getty Images) ISAAC GUZMAN AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico TOPSHOT - A Central American migrant - part of a caravan of mostly Hondurans travelling in caravan to the US- is tackled by a member of Mexico's National Guard after crossing the Suichate River, the natural border between Tecun Uman in Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo in Mexico, on January 20, 2020. - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN / AFP) (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP via Getty Images) ISAAC GUZMAN AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico epa08145436 Central American migrants, mostly Hondurans, manage to cross the SuchÃ­ate river that divides Mexico and Guatemala to enter Mexican territory, in City of Hidalgo, Chiapas state, Mexico, 20 January 2020. Hundreds of migrants are crossing the Suchiate River, which separates Guatemala from Mexico, in order to enter Mexican territory illegally after the government rejected their formal request to enter the country. On 19 January, a migrant caravan consisting of Central Americans at the border of Guatemala announced that they would postpone their crossing to 20 January because they still wait for other partners, with whom they estimate to add between 5,000 and 8,000 people. EPA/Juan Manuel Blanco Juan Manuel Blanco EPA Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico TOPSHOT - Aereal view showing Central American migrants - mostly Hondurans, travelling on caravan to the US- cross the Suichate River, the natural border between Tecum Uman, Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 20, 2020. - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by Carlos ALONZO / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS ALONZO/AFP via Getty Images) CARLOS ALONZO AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Central American migrants - mostly Hondurans, travelling on caravan to the US- cross the Suichate River back to Tecun Uman, after failing to enter Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico on January 20, 2020. - Hundreds of Central Americans from a new migrant caravan tried to enter Mexico by force Monday by crossing the river that divides the country from Guatemala, prompting the National Guard to fire tear gas, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by Johan ORDONEZ / AFP) (Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images) JOHAN ORDONEZ AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico The arrival of Honduran migrants to the border between Guatemala and Mexico EPA Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Migrants pray as they gather near the border Reuters Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico A Central American migrant and his baby travelling on caravan to the US AFP via Getty Central American migrant caravan tries to enter Mexico Hundreds of people try to cross the bridge that allows the passage to Mexico EPA

Critics have lined up in opposition to the move, with congressman Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, an ally of the president, wrote on Twitter: “The National Guard today reignited the aggression against Central Americans.

“It appears to be a systematic attitude or a state policy against the most elemental human rights. Whoever ordered it should respond to the Congress.”

Enrique Acevedo, a columnist with Mexico’s Milenio newspaper, said the administration is “a government of the ‘left’ that acts in complicity with Donald Trump in doing its dirty work.”

Donald Trump claims US are building a wall in Colorado - 370 miles from Mexico border

The US has praised Mexico’s stance, with Chad F Wolf, acting secretary of homeland security, saying: “The efforts by the Mexican National Guard and other officials have thus far been effective at maintaining the integrity of their border, despite outbreaks of violence and lawlessness by people who are attempting to illegally enter Mexico on their way to the United States.”