Transcript.pdf

Judith Kelley discusses the migrant caravan heading to the US border with Sarah Bermeo, a political economist. The caravan, consisting of 3,000-4,000 people, mostly from Honduras, is fleeing violence and gangs in their home countries. President Trump has claimed the group includes gang members and "very bad people" without evidence. Bermeo argues that the primary reason for migration is no longer economic opportunity, but rather violence and safety concerns. She notes that the traditional definition of a refugee does not include those fleeing gang violence, but the UN Refugee Agency considers them eligible for protection. The US has signed international and domestic laws allowing people to seek asylum, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ruled that those fleeing gang violence are not considered refugees. The labeling of migrants matters, as it affects their legal rights and protections. Bermeo suggests that temporary protected status could be granted without declaring them refugees, allowing them to live and work in the US without a path to citizenship. The migrant caravan phenomenon appears to be a relatively new development in the Central American context.