Trump warns Honduras to halt migrant 'caravan' or lose US aid
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'The United States has strongly informed the President of Honduras that if the large Caravan of people heading to the US is not stopped and brought back to Honduras, no more money or aid will be given to Honduras, effective immediately!' Trump tweeted.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned Honduras he will cut millions of dollars in US aid if a group of about 2,000 migrants is not prevented from seeking to reach the United States.
The migrants, forming what is known as "a caravan," were hoping to leave the impoverished, violence-plagued country and head north on the long journey through Guatemala and Mexico to the US border.
Trump, who has made cracking down on illegal immigration a keystone of his presidency, tweeted that US aid to Honduras, which is planned to reach nearly $66 million in 2019, would end.
"The United States has strongly informed the President of Honduras that if the large Caravan of people heading to the U.S. is not stopped and brought back to Honduras, no more money or aid will be given to Honduras, effective immediately!" he said.
Despite the apparent urgency of Trump's message, the Honduran would-be migrants appeared highly unlikely to get anywhere near their goal after Guatemala announced it would stop them first.
"Entry of groups or people" without proper visas "will not be permitted," Guatemala's border authorities said in a statement.