Jonathan Krohn: ‘Unclear’ whether migrant caravan will see more violence with Mexican government

Jonathan Krohn, a journalist who has been documenting a migrant caravan’s travel through Mexico, said it is “unclear” whether more violence will break out between the caravan and the Mexican government.

The group of around 2,000 migrants started their journey from Mexico’s southern border in October and has since made it further up the country than any other caravan in 2018.

The caravan and Mexico’s National Guard have clashed in recent weeks, with people on both sides sustaining injuries in the process. 

“It’s really kind of a crap shoot at this point. We’re in kind of uncharted territory because this is a new administration that came into power at the end of 2018 after those caravans and they worked hard to suppress any potential of caravans for the past two years,” Krohn said on Hill.TV’s “Rising.” “It is really unclear how they will handle it.”

Krohn discussed the National Migration Institute’s (NMI) efforts to use nonviolent tactics to disband the caravan, but said there is high distrust among the migrants towards the government. 

The government will tell migrants that, if they let the NMI take them out of the group and to a shelter, they will provide humanitarian visas, food and aid, Krohn said, but added that the government doesn’t “respect humanitarian visas the way they respect a temporary residency card,” which the leader of the caravan is pressing for. 

Krohn said many communities, especially Christian communities, have been open to helping the migrants along their path. 

“In the towns that the caravan has gone through, the vast majority of them have been very helpful and supportive. This is especially true in Christian communities, and not just Catholic communities rooted in liberation theology,” Krohn said. 

“It is very interesting to see the evangelicals and charismatic churches have started opening their doors to the migrants as they come through,” he added.