Newsweek Falsely Claims Migrant Caravan Turning Back After Trump’s Victory

Newsweek falsely claimed that a migrant caravan moving through southern Mexico with the hopes of eventually reaching the U.S. border was turning back following President-Elect Donald Trump’s election. Contrary to the Newsweek report, the caravan is still moving through southern Mexico.

In a report published on Thursday on Newsweek, by one of their New York-based political reporters, the publication claimed that “Migrants are abandoning a caravan headed for the United States because Donald Trump ‘s election win has dashed their ‘dream of getting out.'”

In the article, the reporter quoted some migrants expressing frustration about the election, but had no actual information about the caravan of more than 2,500 migrants dissolving, turning back, or continuing. The reporter then went into detail about Trumps prior comments about immigration, the wall, and calls for mass deportation.

The article also did not quote any Mexican immigration or public safety officials who would be able to confirm or deny such claims. These officials have been following and guarding the various caravans that have been moving through the southern part of the country.

The article used an AP video with archival footage from another caravan from early October. Newsweek also used photographs from yet another caravan from July.

Breitbart Texas spoke with high ranking Mexican immigration officials who confirmed that the caravan is still moving north and provided photographs taken on Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday afternoon, the caravan pulled up to the town of Escuintla, Chiapas, where they spent the night before continuing their journey early Friday morning.

Breitbart Texas reported the caravan departed on Tuesday morning from Tapachula, Chiapas, on Mexico’s southern border. Contrary to Newsweek’s reporting, on Wednesday and Thursday, once the results of the U.S. presidential election were widely known, the caravan continued their march, slowly walking under police escort. Since their initial departure, they have traveled more than 75 kilometers to the their current location. The goal of the caravan is to reach Mexico City where as with various other prior caravans they are expected to disperse and find alternate routes to the northern border.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.     

“Williams Cortez” from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report.