The Democrats’ victory in the US midterm elections encouraged migrants from Honduras and El Salvador to head for the US border, despite the fact that immigration rules remain unchanged. Two groups are already traveling through Guatemala toward the Mexican border.
Dozens of Salvadorans set off by bus from the Western Bus Terminal in San Salvador toward Tecún Umán – a border town in Guatemala. There, they intend to join another group that left Honduras on election day and is already traveling through the country.
„This is the hope – to reach the place we have set out for,“ Beatriz M., who is traveling with her husband and their two children, aged 9 and 11, told CNN. An employee of a bus company described the passengers as an unusual flow of people but did not give his name because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Washington’s warning
Two days after the election, the US embassy in El Salvador issued a warning in Spanish. It stated that US immigration laws remain in effect and that the results of the midterm elections do not represent a change in current immigration policy.
Despite this, some migrants associate the Democrats’ victory with the possibility of more favorable treatment by US immigration authorities. Honduran national Santiago, who has been deported from the US twice, said: „We hope that with this change, everything will improve for us.“
Juan, who lived in the US for 26 years, was deported on September 15. He then tried to re-enter twice but was turned back by Mexico. He joined the group after learning about it on social media.
Unemployment and divided families
Since Donald Trump took office in 2025, encounters along the US southwestern border have declined sharply. The administration tightened controls along the border with Mexico and launched a wave of deportations, presented by the president as a measure against illegal immigration.
For some people, however, the risk of deportation is smaller than the pressure of poverty and the lack of work. Salvadoran national Carlos E. said he had been unemployed for four months and that his family lived in the US.
José K. set out for the border after not seeing his loved ones for two years. Before boarding the bus, he called them by video to let them know that he was beginning the journey and hoped to embrace them soon.
„There is work here, but it is not enough to support ourselves,“ said Mauricio S., a young farmer. He added that life in the US was not easy, but he intended to try his luck and help his family.
Other migrants do not expect the election to significantly change the policy. At a border crossing in Guatemala, Anibal said that under both Democrats and Republicans, illegal entry often ends in deportation. „Nothing has changed,“ he said.
Sources: edition.cnn.com