Migrant caravan members reject offer to stay in Mexico

[oberliner]

Source: NBC News

ARRIAGA, Mexico — Several thousand Central American migrants turned down a Mexican offer of benefits if they applied for refugee status and stayed in the country's two southernmost states, vowing to set out before dawn Saturday to continue their long trek toward the U.S. border.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced what he called the "You are at home" plan, offering shelter, medical attention, schooling and jobs to Central Americans in Chiapas and Oaxaca states if they applied, calling it a first step toward permanent refugee status. Authorities said more than 1,700 had already applied for refugee status.

But after one of the caravan's longest days of walking and hanging from passing trucks, the bulk of the migrants were boisterous Friday evening in their refusal to accept anything less than safe passage to the U.S. border.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/migrant-caravan-members-reject-offer-stay-mexico-n925171

[3Hotdogs]

1. Wrong decision.

[The Liberal Lion]

13. I agree with you.

It's not that they shouldn't be allowed to come here and pursue what once would have been called the American dream. Hell, growing up as an America I never considered America a nation all and to it's own. I always considered America unique amoung nations because we are the world and therefore was what every person on earth could aspire to, that is come here and pursue opportunity. However, now, the American dream is now a nightmare. I think they should take Mexico up on their offer, because coming here, if they even get in, would lead to more trauma than it is worth.

[watoos]

2. I watched interviews of the refugees

and the last word I would use to describe them would be boisterous.

My headline would have been that the caravan is shrinking, 1,700 accept Mexico's offer of refugee status.

[True Blue American]

16. If they are smart

They will accept the Mexico offer. It is far better than the reception they will receive here.

[Chemisse]

3. They will be horrified at their reception at the US border.

I feel so badly for them, thinking we are still that shining city on the hill.

[janterry]

5. I wish we could send money to help them

they are so deserving

[oberliner]

8. Still the best option for many of them

[True Blue American]

17. We are no

Longer that under Trump and Republicans.

[groundloop]

4. Tiny will see to it that their lives are hell if they come here

For the sake of honesty, Tiny should have the words on the Statue of Liberty edited slightly -

THIS:

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

will become THIS:

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, (so long as they're white). The wretched refuse of your teeming shore ( so long as they're rich). Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! "

[Ohioboy]

6. Give it time

After Trump ruins his country we'll all be in caravans going the other way.

[The Liberal Lion]

14. I'm on my way out myself.

I'm not waiting for what I know is inevitable. The crash and burn. Nope, I came back to vote and liquidate my assets. I voted, and now I'm almost done with the rest.

[7962]

20. But to where?

[The Liberal Lion]

23. Let's just say I bought a big piece of land in the jungle outside the country.

Over the past two years I've been building a self sufficient homestead on that land, and I started a business in that country. I saw the handwriting on the walls early on. I studied what areas of the Earth went basically unaffected during WWII, and that's how I made my choice as to where to relocate.

[JudyM]

25. Quite a move! And an interesting approach to the problem. Won't say where?

[cstanleytech]

28. I wish you luck, I just wish I had the ability to join you in leaving but

unfortunately I lack the financial means to make such a move.

[7962]

7. And why? I've seen several Interviews where they tell the reporter "anywhere but Honduras"

So why NOT Mexico? Or Costa Rica? Or Nicaragua?
Mexico is offering help, they should consider it.
eta- at least the 1700 HAVE.

[oberliner]

9. What do you think the answer is to that question?

[videohead5]

10. Senator Mark Warner

Thinks it's really strange that they picked a few weeks before the election to start coming. I would not put anything past the GOP.

[lunamagica]

19. Give me a break. These people left everything, and are traking the children on a harrowing,

dangerous trek, have them walking under the scorching sun until their feet are raw with blisters, just to have them sleep on the hard pavement at night because the GOP planned it?

The article can't speak for everyone on the caravan. Who knows how many will take Mexico's offer to stay, but I'm sure they can't say no one will.

[cstanleytech]

29. Wont be an issue as long as the legitimate news media does not pick up and push the Repugnant

narrative of being anti immigrant.

[7962]

18. I really don't know.

[lunamagica]

21. I'm thinking that perhaps the families traveling together are more likely to take Mexico's offer

But the young men and women traveling alone, well, they are probably trying to come with the intention of working to send money to their families back in Honduras. Us $$$ go way longer towards that than Mexican Pesos. together

[cstanleytech]

30. Problem many of them do not seem to grasp is our country is experiencing one of the waves of

anti immigrant sentiment that sweeps through every country every so often so they will probably not be welcomed.
A better plan would have been for them to stop, take Mexico up on the offer and then later on once the wave of anti immigrant sentiment has passed to try and come to the US.

[lunamagica]

31. True. They are in fantasymode. I can't tell you how many when interviewed start to appeal

to trump's better side, saying things like "President trump, you are a parent like us. Please, find it in your heart to let us in. Al we want is to work hard and provide a better future for our children". That's the prevalent feeling among them. They have no idea of the monster he is.

[MichMan]

11. At least a couple possibilities come to mind, probably a myriad of reasons

1) Many are actually fleeing for economic reasons, not because of threats of violence, however they know if they say they need asylum for fear of violence, their chances of getting in are much higher

2) Many are originally from Mexico in the first place ?

[oberliner]

12. That makes sense

What should the Democratic Party platform be with respect to category 1?

[xor]

15. I know your question was directed toward a specific person

but your question reminded me of a discussion I was trying to have the other day. One thing I've noticed is that everyone on all sides of this issue seem to focus only on the immediate short-term perspective. Yes, 7,000 migrants are fleeing their countries for the US. In the grand scheme of things that's a fairly small number. We need to discuss how we're going handle that situation, but why isn't there more discussion about why these folks are fleeing and what we can do to correct it? I rarely see people with the power to make changes discuss the root cause and solutions for that. When the root causes are mentioned it's almost always just in passing.

As with most things, our country focuses only putting out fires rather than the longer term fire prevention. We just haphazardly apply bandaids to the vast majority of the problems we face.

[The Mouth]

22. Because, in part, that no American administration in a century is 'clean'

Both parties have at the very least acquiesced to unsavory,. if profitable, activities there.

Yeah, Reagan was the worst, but I doubt that many close to the core of the Democratic party really want too harsh a light shined on things that went down around 2009, either... More than a century of -at our most benign - looking the other way.

http://theconversation.com/how-us-policy-in-honduras-set-the-stage-for-todays-migration-65935

[Kali]

27. we don't do root causes in 'Merica.

we prefer easy bandaids, magic pills, and silver bullets. we have become superficial, selfish, and have mass ADHD. maybe we have always been that way.

[Bengus81]

24. Gawd...yeah,bet Trump has a much better deal...............

[Stargleamer]

26. In today's climate in this country, this is an act of extreme bravery

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Donald Trump’s campaign message in two words: Be afraid.<br>My campaign message in two words: Be brave.</p>— Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[haele]

32. Chiapas and Oaxaca might seem too close to Honduras.

While there may be some good work available, local corruption and the drug gangs are still a big problem in those regions. Remember the students who disappeared a few years ago? Our neighbors have relatives in Oaxaca, they're living low key just to not be targets.
The ones who choose to go on aren't being stupid or stubborn, they want to make a better life.

Haele