In what could be the start of an impending humanitarian crisis, a group of more than 500 Haitian refugees is now walking through Mexico and heading toward the U.S., where they hope to seek asylum and shelter from the terrible conditions in their poverty-stricken homeland — especially in the wake of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.
The Associated Press has reported that on Friday, Sept. 17, an even larger group — which had been on buses — was ordered to stop their journey by Mexican Immigration officials. However, authorities said many refused the order and continued their journey to the U.S. border on foot.
According to the AP, “immigration agents and National Guard officers stopped the buses at a highway checkpoint near the town of San Fernando, about 120 miles (200 kilometers) south of the Texas border.”
