Migrant Caravan Runs Low on Food, Keeps Marching North Anyway

TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — Hundreds of migrants trekking through southern Mexico toward the U.S. border are facing a basic problem: they’re running out of food.

The caravan, calling itself “Faith and Hope with God,” has traveled roughly 93 miles through the Mexican state of Chiapas over nearly two weeks. Along the way, some families reportedly have gone days without eating, while others are surviving by sharing whatever food remains.

In other words, nearly 350 people are attempting a journey spanning hundreds of miles with dwindling supplies and no guarantee they’ll even make it out of southern Mexico.

“There are many women with children who have no money,” Honduran migrant José Celaya told a Mexican newspaper. “Sometimes we support each other. We share a plate of food.”

Celaya is traveling with his wife, sister-in-law and four children. Despite the hardships, he said returning home is not an option.

The caravan began Sept. 20 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and entered Mexico a few days later. Most participants are from Central America, though migrants from other countries have joined the group along the way.

U.S. authorities are already watching.

The Department of Homeland Security has said Border Patrol is tracking the caravan and warned that anyone attempting to enter the United States illegally will face arrest, prosecution and removal.

But before anyone reaches the U.S. border, there’s another obstacle: Mexico.

Recent history suggests the odds are long.

Since Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, about 20 migrant caravans have departed southern Mexico. According to local reports, not one has made it past the neighboring state of Oaxaca.

Some caravans have fallen apart because of illness, exhaustion and severe weather. Others have been broken up by immigration authorities. One group reportedly started with about 1,000 people and dissolved after weeks of walking. Another battled foot injuries, fevers, stomach illnesses and relentless rain. Yet another saw its numbers cut in half before participants accepted government transportation and abandoned the organized march.

Translation: Walking hundreds of miles through tropical heat with children, limited food and uncertain legal status turns out to be really hard.

Researchers who study migration say caravans persist because they offer safety in numbers. Traveling alone can leave migrants vulnerable to crime, exploitation and dangerous conditions. Large groups also attract attention from charities, local residents and government agencies that sometimes provide food, shelter and medical aid.

Still, attention doesn’t always mean assistance.

For the current caravan, meals are becoming scarce faster than miles are disappearing.

As if that weren’t enough, Mexican authorities recently arrested a Honduran man who had been traveling with the group after discovering what officials described as a valid international Red Notice issued by Honduras. Authorities did not disclose the alleged offense.

For now, the migrants continue north one step at a time.

They’re still hundreds of miles from the U.S. border, low on supplies, and following a path that dozens of caravans before them have started, but few have successfully finished.

It’s a journey fueled largely by hope, because the food is reportedly running out.