A portion of the migrant caravan has arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border near Tijuana. Many were seen scaling the wall on Wednesday, attempting to cross the border illegally.
Many Americans came to the border to catch a glimpse of the caravan and U.S. Border Patrol’s response, local San Diego station KUSI News reported.
Among the spectators, a legal immigrant nicknamed “The Flag Man” came to the border carrying a large American flag.
Richard Vargas, who apparently walks along the San Diego-Tijuana border “all the time,” asked KUSI, “Who’s funding all of this?”
“Is it the government? Is it the cartels? Is it a political move? You know, so that’s my concern,” he said.
KUSI reported that the first group of migrants came much sooner than CBP San Diego anticipated, likely because the group, which includes people who identify as LGBT, branched off from the caravan due to safety concerns. The local station said that the first wave of migrants received funding from gay rights groups based in Mexico, but "beyond that, it's tough to say."
Other groups are reportedly splintering from the larger caravan, traveling in cars and buses, in an attempt to beat the potential chaos and get a head start on their asylum applications, though it is unclear how or from whom they are receiving transportation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. military continue to install “hardening infrastructure” at the border in anticipation for the migrant caravan "and the potential safety and security risk that it could cause."