hundreds of central american migrants arrive in tijuana setting up potential confrontation with us authorities creditguillermo ariasagence francepresse getty imagesnov 14 2018tijuana mexico hundreds of migrants in the caravan traveling from central america have begun arriving in the northern mexico border city of tijuana setting up a potential confrontation with the american authorities that has been brewing for weekstheir arrival in tijuana marked the end of one struggle making it safely to the united states border but it signaled the start of another to get across that border something that president trump has promised to impede even for those seeking asylum mr trump has labeled the caravan an invasion deployed american soldiers to the border and made changes to asylum rules in efforts to confront ita few of the migrants who have made it to tijuana were already trying to figure out how to get appointments with american border officials to present their cases for sanctuary migrants advocates said most however appear to be biding their time and considering their options including seeking sanctuary in the united states trying to cross illegally or remaining in mexicoabout 800 migrants associated with the caravan have made it to tijuana so far according to local officials and advocates with thousands more still crossing mexico and expected to arrive in the next several dayson the united states side of the border on wednesday defense secretary jim mattis traveled to texas to meet with some of 5600 american troops deployed to support border security as the caravan approached he continued to stand by president trumps order to send up to 15000 american troops to the southwest border telling soldiers on wednesday that their mission is to put obstacles in the way of the approaching caravanmr trump has come under fire from critics who accuse him of stoking fears about the migrant caravan as a threat to get republicans to the polls for the midterm elections he has not tweeted about the caravan since the elections on nov 6the trump administration has reassigned border agents from el paso texas and nearby crossings to arizona and california in anticipation of the caravans arrival said hector mancha the el paso director of the united states customs and border protections field operationsfrom his place in line outside a soup kitchen in downtown tijuana on wednesday morning wisthon jos betancourt could see the tawny sunbaked hills of southern california off in the distance and the new life they suggested part of the vanguard of the caravan he had just stumbled off a bus after an arduous dayandahalf driveon one hand we feel some happiness for having arrived at this point he said allowing an exhausted smile but were a little worried about what trump is going to dosince the caravans inception in honduras in midoctober the mass migration has bedeviled governments through the region and tested the humanitarian impulses of citizens along its route the caravan itself has been struggling in fits and starts in recent days to make its