Migrant caravan leads to increased activity at southern border

HOUSTON - A migrant caravan is currently moving through Mexico, heading towards the U.S. border, as Texas officials offer support for President-elect Donald Trump's proposed immigration policies.

A growing number of migrants are journeying from Central and South America, aiming to enter the United States and seek asylum before the inception of Donald Trump’s presidency. Immigration attorney Raed Gonzalez highlighted that the caravan, reportedly including about 1,500 individuals, comprises many who have valid reasons to request asylum due to the prevailing violence in their countries.

Traveling in large numbers could provide a feeling of safety against Mexican cartels and criminal activities, Gonzalez explained, though it does not guarantee full protection or immunity from violence.

RELATED: 1,500 migrants head toward US border, some hoping to arrive before Trump’s second term

As President-elect Trump's inauguration day nears, he has pledged to enforce stringent border control measures from day one, including the potential use of military force and wide-scale deportations. 

"It has changed quite a bit if you hear even our own Governor Abbott and Trump saying ‘We’re going to do this mass deportation of violent criminals’ and they’re now referring to everyone. I don’t know if they realized it’s almost impossible to deport 12 million people at once," Gonzalez said.

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham has initiated border wall construction in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) and proposed Trump's administration utilize Starr County Ranch for building a deportation facility.

"I was brainstorming with my team, and we said ‘Hey the Trump administration probably needs some deportation facilities’ cus we have these violent criminals we need to round up and get the heck out of this country. So we’re happy to make this offer and hope they take us up on it," Buckingham told FOX News Digital.

Get news, weather and so much more on the new FOX LOCAL app

Gonzalez, however, expressed skepticism about the practicality and efficacy of such an approach.

"I’m not sure how it’s going to work out. Just imagine building a detention center to deport people. We have them already and they can continue to be used more efficiently," Gonzalez said.

The Trump administration aims to expand immigration detention facilities, even planning establishments near major cities. This growing network of centers could change the landscape of immigration policy and infrastructure in the imminent future.