Officials continue to watch the large caravan of migrants coming from Central America, through Mexico, heading toward the U.S. It's become a prime part of political debate leading up to the 2018 Midterm Election.
UA Latin American Studies Professor, Doctor Elizabeth Oglesby, says there have been many other caravans like this one, with people trying to escape violence and poverty in places like Guatemala and Honduras.
Doctor Oglesby says she rejects the claim that this latest caravan includes criminals or terrorists. She says anyone who does reach our border and convinces officials they have a credible fear of persecution, will still face intense screening before there's a decision on whether they'll be allowed to stay.
She says, "starting with Border Patrol Officers who do the credible fear hearings and ending with the immigration asylum judges. Only a very small portion of people who actually apply for political asylum will actually receive it. It's a long and heavily vetted process."
Doctor Oglesby says a caravan in April dwindled from thousands of people, down to about 200 people who actually reached the U.S. She says their asylum requests are still being considered.
