The Central American migrant caravan that President Trump decried in April has finally made it to the United States border, congregating at the entry point of San Ysidro. Nearly 200 migrants made it to the entry point, but only eight were allowed to enter the U.S. on Monday night. Those 8 were selected by the migrants themselves, including a pregnant mother and her two children.

Although immigration officials have not announced exactly how many asylum seekers will be let into the country, the U.S. government, bound by various treaties, is ultimately required to allow all of the migrants to apply for asylum. The rest of the caravan has made it clear that they are prepared to hunker down for a chance to plead their cases.

 

The remaining migrants have set up camp in a pedestrian plaza directly adjacent to the border crossing, laying out their belongings on blankets and crowding together under tarps to protect from the elements.  “This is the least of their suffering,” said Irineo Mujica, the Mexican director of Pueblo Sin Fronteras, a transnational advocacy group and organizer of the caravan.

The Washington Post reports that the Justice Department has already filed charges against 11 alleged caravan members for illegally entering the country. “The United States will not stand by as our immigration laws are ignored and our nation’s safety is jeopardized,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

President Trump has been closely following the caravan’s progression. According to The Wall Street Journal, he has reiterated his earlier comments that the U.S immigration practices were “weak,” “obsolete” and “pathetic.” Trump has also repeated his calls for a continuous physical barrier between Mexico and America.  He tweeted this last night: