• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Todd
  • OVERRUN book website
  • America’s Covert Border War book
  • Awards
  • Book Todd to Speak

Todd Bensman

From Journalism to Counterterrorism Intelligence - and Back.

  • Securing Borders
  • Terrorism & Homeland
  • Todd In the News
  • Congressional Testimony
  • My War In Bosnia Essay

VIDEO: Caravans to Nowhere?

October 25, 2024 by Todd Bensman

By Todd Bensman as published October 24 by the Center for Immigration Studies

Washington, D.C. (October 24, 2023) – Recent Center for Immigration Studies field work reveals a growing crisis in the Mexican southern state of Chiapas. Why are thousands of migrants bottled up in this area near the Guatemala-Mexico border, and why are caravans forming but only moving within Chiapas? On-the-ground reporting by Todd Bensman, the Center’s national security fellow, highlights the impact of the Biden-Harris administration’s December 2023 deal with Mexico and the potential consequences leading up to and following the U.S. election.

​
​

Key findings:​

​Biden-Harris Agreement: In December 2023, the U.S. and Mexico reached a secretive deal to keep migrants in southern Mexico to reduce the appearance of a border crisis in the U.S. The deal has resulted in the Mexican military setting up roadblocks in the region, particularly around the border town of Tapachula, to slow the flow of migrants.
​Migrants Bottled Up: Bensman visited Tapachula, where an estimated 150,000 migrants are stranded, with 500 to 1,500 more arriving daily. The city is overwhelmed, with high poverty levels and unrest.
​Caravans and Military Escorts: Migrant caravans are forming, but they are not headed to the U.S. Instead, the Mexican military is escorting them to other cities within Chiapas to ease pressure on Tapachula. Bribes and mafias enable wealthier migrants to escape the blockade, but poorer migrants remain trapped.
​CBP One App: The U.S. extended access to the CBP One app, previously only usable in northern Mexico, to allow migrants in southern Mexico to schedule appointments for processing into the U.S. However, delays and limited access make it difficult for most to advance quickly.
​Upcoming Election Tension: Many migrants feel an urgency to reach the U.S. before a potential change in leadership. Those interviewed fear that a Trump win would mean a closed border and no benefits, while they believe a Harris win would maintain the status quo and provide access to benefits.​

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
​

Filed Under: Securing America's Borders

Subscribe to Mailing List

Subscribing to my list will entitle subscribers to be alerted to blog posts, articles and writings as they are published, as well as any special announcements.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Bensman’s Newsletter

Sign Up

Bensman’s Books

Cover of America's Covert Boarder War book Cover of Overrun Book

Follow Me Online

Find Bensman on LinkedIn Find Bensman on Twitter Find Bensman on Gettr Find Bensman on Truth Social

Related Posts

The Federalist: Del Rio Migrant Camp Proves Biden Can Stop Mass Migration Crisis Whenever He Wants
Gatestone Institute Cites Bensman Study: “The Terrorists Migrating Into Europe”
Bensman Title 42 Border Coverage From Matamoros, Mexico May 8-15, 2023
The Canadian Policy Behind the Surge of Illegals – and Mexican Cartel Operatives – at the Northern Border
Repeat Border Crossers Driving Those Border Apprehension Spikes: They’re Not Real
Major Border Wall Contractor Explains a Few Things About Texas Promise to Finish
Is Dangerous Vigilantism Sentiment Spreading on Pro-Security Right
C-Span’s Book TV, “After Words with Todd Bensman” about new book OVERRUN
About those 42 Terrorists Who Crossed the American Southern Border
The Daily Wire: UN Non-Profits Pave The Way For Permanent Mass Migration

© 2025 · Todd Bensman · Site By WP Attendant