First group from Honduran caravan crosses into Mexico, testing President Trump's red line

"If migration and the federal police do not allow us access, we will do the impossible to cross into Mexico," one migrant said

by Julia Ainsley / Oct. 19, 2018 / 12:31 PM EDT

The U.S. government is now tracking a small group of immigrants from the Honduran migrant caravan who crossed into southern Mexico on Thursday night, a border President Donald Trump made clear he did not want the migrants to cross in order to prevent them from arriving at the U.S. southern border.

The breakaway group crossed over the Succhiate River separating Guatemala and Mexico, according to an internal U.S. document obtained by NBC News. They are soon to be followed by a group of 2,000-3,000 migrants who have congregated in Tecun Uman, Guatemala, located about 25 miles south of the border crossing at Tapachula, Mexico.

The group of migrants, gathered in the town's central park, were preparing to make a decision by early afternoon about how to enter Mexico. Among the options: cross the Succhiate or travel to Tapachula.

"If migration and the federal police do not allow us access, we will do the impossible to cross into Mexico," one of the migrants shouted to the others.

A separate group of roughly 500 migrants are expected to join the others later Friday. Another large caravan of roughly 1,000 Hondurans recently crossed into El Salvador as they make their way north.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Trump raised pressure on Mexico "to stop this onslaught," adding "if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!"

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is traveling to Mexico on Friday to meet with his counterparts, where he will continue to pressure the country to stop migrants from passing through Mexico to the United States.

Their travel patterns could trigger a crackdown on the border by the Trump administration. Senior administration officials say Trump is "dead serious" about taking drastic measures, including sealing the border, but is likely to hold off until after the Nov. 6 midterms. The first wave of the caravan is due to reach the United Stated border just around that time.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...rump-s-n922086