Donald Trump 'scares away' migrants: Numbers are 'going down' after 5 weeks of restrictions

Activists and shelters on Mexico's southern border believe there has been a decrease in migrants in the area after five weeks of new restrictions by US President Donald Trump, in addition to the deployment of the Mexican National Guard.

José Antonio Chol Ruiz, representative of the Left Forever Organizations Bloc, told EFE that the drop in numbers is due to the pause in asylum in the United States and the "closure" of the border announced by Trump, which is why many are now seeking to return to their countries of origin.

"In 90 percent of the banks where migrants usually went to withdraw money, there are no longer long lines. People come to the parks looking for where they are staying, and the rents are very expensive," said the defender of migrants and other social causes in Tapachula, the largest city on the border with Central America.

Migrants told EFE that they are discouraged by Trump's measures, such as mass deportations and the end of the Customs and Protection Office's 'CBP One' application for requesting asylum from Mexico.

For this reason, Chol Ruiz considered that migration “will decrease now”, although “everything will level out again”.

"The Mexican government should support them. These people are in debt in their countries and are suffering from the frustration of not being able to reach the United States," he said.

Under pressure from the United States , Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum defended that encounters of irregular migrants on the US border “are at their lowest level in recent history,” with 367 recorded on February 17.

In addition, Mexico has deployed 10,000 members of its National Guard to the border with the United States to combat drug and migrant trafficking, following an agreement with Trump to pause tariffs, while on the southern border there are operations to secure undocumented people.

Conde, a Haitian in Tapachula , told EFE that all migrants must have their documents on hand to avoid problems with the authorities because they are now patrolling and conducting operations in the neighborhoods.

"There are many difficulties, migrants have no work. With patience and with God everything will be fine," he reported.

However, the migrant considered that there is no problem if the foreigners decide to "approach the Comar (Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance) and Immigration, where they will give them papers to be able to live here and recover residency in a couple of months or six months."

Honduran Luis Felipe also told EFE that he has noticed a decrease in the presence of compatriots and travelers from other countries in shelters and meeting points for migrants.

“Before it looked more crowded, but now it looks very empty, there are hardly many migrants because there are many problems, they are deporting migrants to Honduras and other countries, maybe they come to get help because they cannot stay in their country, there is a lot of crime,” he explained.

As an example of the Mexican government's actions on the southern border, a group of 242 deported migrants, including women and children, returned to Venezuela on Monday on a plane from Mexico , reported the head of the Venezuelan Ministry of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello.