As many as 5,000 migrants are marching from the southern Mexico state of Chiapas in hopes of reaching the northern border region with the United States.
Migrants from Central America, Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti initiated the trek Monday after they had grown frustrated with the long wait times the Mexican government was taking to process their refugee or exit visa applications at the main immigration processing center in the Chiapas town of Tapachula, near the Guatemala border.
Mexico’s National Migration Institute, which is tasked with approving or denying the applications, has been back up with requests. Migrants normally wait weeks or months to have their status legalized, which allows them to work and move freely in the country.