Migrant caravan coverage timed to election season

Rerun #13

Oct 2026 – ongoing Second caravan before the midterms

AP reported that a caravan of more than 600 people, mostly Hondurans, left Tapachula on Tuesday, Oct. 20. AP said they left partly because they believe the November US midterms could change conditions for them. That was two weeks before the Nov. 3 election. On Oct. 21, DHS replied on X to Reuters footage of the group, saying there was "absolutely ZERO chance" it would be let into the US. The Daily Wire compared the caravan to the ones that became "a major political flashpoint during the 2018 midterms." AP reported that about 20 earlier groups had left Tapachula over the past two years and all were broken up between Chiapas and Oaxaca.

• The Daily Wire article

  There is absolutely ZERO chance this caravan will be allowed into the United States

• Breitbart News article

  Many in the group, according to some reports, intend to posture near the U.S.-Mexico border in hopes that a Democratic win in the midterms might signal a return to a less secure border.

• proceso.com.mx article

  porque creen que las elecciones intermedias de noviembre podrían cambiar las condiciones para ellos

Sources: proceso.com.mx needs a second source · The Epoch Times needs a second source · The Daily Wire needs a second source · Breitbart News needs a second source

Rerun #12

Sep 2026 – Oct 2026 "Fe y Esperanza" caravan before the 2026 midterms

The caravan left San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Sept. 20. EFE reported that by Sept. 28 it had grown to more than 600 people leaving Tapachula, Mexico (Newsweek, Fox News). On Sept. 28 Fox News Digital published a DHS statement that the border "has been SEALED SHUT," and Laura Ingraham covered the caravan that night with border czar Tom Homan. On Sept. 29 a Fox & Friends guest said "We saw this play out in 2018, we saw this play out again in 2020." Writing about five weeks before the midterms, Media Matters said Fox was running the same play it ran in October 2018, and Jezebel said Republicans were fearmongering about the caravan. Newsweek noted the group was still "hundreds of miles from the U.S. border."

• Fox News article

  Biden’s disastrous open border policy has been SEALED SHUT

• Media Matters for America article

  hundreds of migrants have now organized themselves into a new caravan and are heading through Mexico toward the U.S. border

• Media Matters for America article

  We have not seen a caravan headed to the U.S. southern border in several years, why now?

Sources: Newsweek (pre–2013) needs a second source · Fox News needs a second source · Media Matters for America needs a second source · Jezebel needs a second source

Correction, 2026-10-23: Corrected the 2018 comparison to attribute it to Media Matters only; the Jezebel article does not mention 2018.

Rerun #11

Nov 2024 – ongoing Caravans trying to arrive before Trump's inauguration

On Nov. 20, 2024, AP (carried by VOA) reported that about 1,500 migrants formed a caravan in Tapachula, Mexico. It said some hoped to reach the US before Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. Fox News ran the story on Nov. 21. It said Trump was "expected to clamp down heavily on illegal crossings which have soared under the Biden-Harris administration." On Nov. 30, AP reported that Mexico had broken up two caravans a week after Trump threatened 25% tariffs on Mexican goods. AP said the first of those caravans had left Tapachula on Nov. 5, the day Trump was elected. Ahead of the inauguration, Newsweek reported a new caravan, which it called the 10th from the area since October.

• Voice of America article

  About 1,500 migrants, mainly from Central and South America, formed a caravan Wednesday in southern Mexico, hoping to walk or catch rides to the U.S. border.

• Voice of America article

  Mexican immigration authorities have broken up two small migrant caravans headed to the U.S. border, activists said Saturday.

• Newsweek (pre–2013) article

  This marks the 10th caravan to form in the southern municipality since October.

• youtube.com video

  a new caravan of about 1,500 migrants left southern Mexico in the early hours of Wednesday, trying to enter the US before Trump takes office

Sources: Voice of America reliable · Fox News needs a second source · mexiconewsdaily.com needs a second source · Newsweek (pre–2013) needs a second source

Correction, 2026-10-23: Removed the "early January 2025" date for the Newsweek report, which the article does not state; it says only that more caravans were expected ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration.

Rerun #10

Oct 2024 – Nov 2024 Several migrant caravans before the 2024 U.S. presidential election

On Oct. 20, 2024, a group of about 2,000 migrants left Tapachula, in southern Mexico, heading for the U.S. AP said this came "weeks before the U.S. presidential election, in which immigration has been a key issue." Groups of 800 and 600 had left earlier in October. Newsweek reported on an earlier group of about 1,000 that left Oct. 13, under the headline "New Migrant Caravan Approaching US-Mexico Border." Newsweek tied the story to polls on the election and immigration. On Nov. 5, Election Day, Reuters reported that about 3,000 migrants set out from Tapachula and said immigration had been a key campaign issue.

• Newsweek (pre–2013) article

  The group, which left on October 13, is headed from Tapachula, Chiapas, on Mexico's southern border, to Mexico City.

• borderreport.com article

  The development comes weeks before the U.S. presidential election, in which immigration has been a key issue.

• Voice of America article

  Immigration has been a key issue in the U.S. election campaign.

Sources: borderreport.com needs a second source · Newsweek (pre–2013) needs a second source · Voice of America reliable · Voice of America reliable

Rerun #9

Dec 2023 – Jan 2024 Christmas Eve caravan before Blinken's Mexico City meeting

A caravan of about 6,000 people left Tapachula, Mexico, on Dec. 24, 2023. The AP called it the largest since a similar group left the same city in June 2022. US coverage connected it to US politics. The AP noted it set out "a few days before U.S. officials are to meet with their Mexican counterparts" about stemming migration at the border. NBC put it alongside record Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encounters and House Speaker Mike Johnson's letter blaming President Biden for the "border crisis." An article on abc27.com called it "a political headache for both President Biden and López Obrador." Coverage dropped off after the caravan partly broke up on Jan. 2, 2024, when hundreds of members began accepting Mexican immigration processing.

• NBC News article

  About 8,000 people are estimated to be part of the massive group, organizers of the migrant caravan told Telemundo on Wednesday.

• Public Broadcasting Service article

  At around 6,000 people, the migrant caravan that set out Sunday was the largest one since June 2022, when a similarly sized group departed Tapachula.

• abc27.com article

  The new Christmas caravan promises to be a political headache for both President Biden and López Obrador

Sources: Public Broadcasting Service reliable · NBC News reliable · abc27.com needs a second source · mexiconewsdaily.com needs a second source

Correction, 2026-10-23: Corrected "Border Patrol" to "Customs and Border Protection," as NBC reported. Attributed the "political headache" quote to the abc27.com article it appears in, since the page does not name The Hill. Changed "many members accepted" to "hundreds of members began accepting" to match the Jan. 2 report.

Rerun #8

Jun 2022 The caravan during the Summit of the Americas

The Post's caption count shows Fox News mentions of "caravan" rising from 1 on June 3, 2022 to 58 on June 6, the day a caravan left Tapachula, Mexico. Fox said the caravan "could be the largest ever." The Post called this the fifth Fox caravan spike since 2018 and said earlier spikes had "often correlated to elections and policy proposals." For this one, though, it named the Title 42 fight as the likely trigger, not an election. Newsweek predicted the issue would be "a hot topic ahead of the November midterm elections." On June 11, Mexico's INM said it had dissolved the caravan by issuing migration documents.

• Fox News article

  taking part in what could be the largest ever migrant caravan

• Media Matters for America article

  there's over 10,000 illegal immigrants set to storm our borders

• Fox News article

  has now broken up as Mexican officials have offered temporary visas to migrants

• Fox News video Watch transcript

  there's over 10,000 illegal immigrants set to storm our borders

Sources: The Washington Post reliable · Al Jazeera reliable · abc7.com needs a second source · Newsweek (pre–2013) needs a second source

Rerun #7

Oct 2021 Tapachula caravan quoted saying "Tell Biden we are coming"

On Oct. 23, 2021, a caravan that Reuters estimated at about 3,000 people left Tapachula, near the Guatemala border. One organizer said the group was heading to Mexico City to protest a lack of government help in the south. On Oct. 25, Fox News called it "the largest and most organized of its kind this year." Fox said participants registered by QR code and quoted a migrant from El Salvador saying "Tell Biden we are coming." On Oct. 23, Rep. Mary Miller tweeted that the "Biden-Harris caravan" was "the population of Minneapolis." PolitiFact rated that "Pants on Fire": the highest estimate it found was 4,000, less than 1% of Minneapolis's roughly 430,000 people.

• Fox News article

  "Tell Biden we are coming," one migrant named William from El Salvador told Fox News.

• PolitiFact article

  The Biden-Harris caravan is the population of Minneapolis and will enter our country with no vetting, no criminal background checks, no COVID testing, and no vaccine requirements

Sources: Fox News needs a second source · france24.com reliable · PolitiFact reliable · NewsNation reliable

Rerun #6

Jan 2021 Caravan just before Biden's inauguration

A caravan of Hondurans left on Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, five days before Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20. Guatemalan officials said as many as 9,000 people had entered Guatemala by Jan. 16, and security forces clashed with the group that day (Al Jazeera). On Sunday, Jan. 17, police fired tear gas and used batons (NPR). A senior Biden transition official told NBC News that "now is not the time to make the journey." NBC added that migration had risen around past US elections and transitions of power, including the 2018 midterm caravans. Snopes rated "Mixture" the claim that the caravan was heading north because of Biden's policies. It also said AP journalists reported on Jan. 19 that the caravan had "dissipated."

• NBC News article

  There's help on the way, but now is not the time to make the journey

• Al Jazeera article

  Guatemalan security forces have clashed with hundreds of Honduran migrants and asylum seekers travelling in a caravan bound for the United States.

• Snopes article

  Biden's critics were quick to conflate immigration policies and misrepresent facts about a caravan of Honduras migrants.

Sources: Al Jazeera reliable · NBC News reliable · NPR reliable · Snopes reliable

Rerun #5

Oct 2020 Honduran migrant caravan forms about a month before the 2020 election and is broken up by Guatemala

On Oct. 1, 2020, CBS/AP reported that hundreds of migrants had left San Pedro Sula for the US. Calls for the caravan had circulated on social media for weeks. The same article compared it to the larger 2018 caravan that formed "shortly before U.S. midterm elections" and "became a hot issue in the campaign." On Oct. 2, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the caravan was "linked to the US election." Al Jazeera noted he gave no evidence; the Washington Post/AP version quoted him adding, "I don't have all the elements." On Oct. 4, Giammattei said Guatemala had sent back almost 3,500 Hondurans, citing COVID-19, so the caravan broke up before the election.

• cbsnews.com article

  Calls for a new migrant caravan to leave from the San Pedro Sula bus station October 1 had been circulating on social media for weeks.

• Al Jazeera article

  It's a matter that I believe is linked to the US election

• cbsnews.com article

  Guatemala has sent back almost 3,500 Honduran migrants from a caravan that was heading to the United States over concerns they might spread COVID-19

Sources: cbsnews.com reliable · Al Jazeera reliable · The Washington Post reliable · cbsnews.com reliable

Rerun #4

Jan 2019 New Honduran caravan during the government shutdown

An estimated 2,000 migrants left San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on January 14–15, 2019, during a partial government shutdown caused by a dispute over wall funding (Washington Post). On January 15, the 25th day of the shutdown, Trump tweeted that "a big new Caravan" was heading for the border and told Pelosi and Schumer that "Only a Wall will work" (VOA, NPR, Fox News). NPR reported that the earlier caravan "became a pivotal issue in the midterm elections" and that Trump used the new one as another reason to fund the wall. The Washington Post reported that Trump "has used similar rhetoric with the new caravan" as he did with the October 2018 caravan.

• x.com social post

  A big new Caravan is heading up to our Southern Border from Honduras. Tell Nancy and Chuck that a drone flying around will not stop them. Only a Wall will work.

• The Washington Post article

  He has used similar rhetoric with the new caravan.

• NPR article

  Trump seized on news of the caravan as another reason to fund his proposed border wall.

Sources: Voice of America reliable · The Washington Post reliable · NPR reliable · Fox News needs a second source

Rerun #3

Nov 2018 Caravan at Tijuana, San Ysidro closed, US agents fire tear gas

On Nov. 25, 2018, U.S. authorities fired tear gas at members of the Central American caravan who rushed the border fence. They also closed the San Ysidro crossing, which the Post called "the busiest crossing along the U.S.-Mexico border" (Washington Post; NPR also reported the closure and the tear gas). The next day, Trump defended the tear gas, saying "Nobody's coming into our country unless they come in legally." He also threatened in a Twitter post to "close the border permanently if need be" (ABC). This came almost three weeks after the midterms. Grabien data reported by TheWrap shows mentions of "caravan" falling from 1,202 on Fox News, 834 on CNN and 586 on MSNBC in the week before Election Day to 203, 75 and 110 in the week after. This rerun came after that post-election drop and was set off by events at the border.

• The Washington Post article

  U.S. authorities used tear gas to repel them, a tactic rarely used by border officials.

• ABC News article

  They had to be used because they were being rushed by some very tough people,

• Time article

  a single photo became a widely shared symbol of the crisis.

Sources: The Washington Post reliable · NPR reliable · ABC News reliable · TheWrap reliable

Correction, 2026-10-23: Removed NPR as a source for the "busiest crossing" quote, which appears only in the Washington Post, and softened the description of this wave as a return of coverage, since no source measures coverage after mid-November.

Rerun #2

Oct 2018 – Nov 2018 Honduran caravan before the 2018 midterms

A caravan of Central American migrants left San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Oct. 13, 2018 (Quartz). On Oct. 29, eight days before the midterms, President Trump tweeted that the caravan was "an invasion of our Country" (Roll Call). The same day, the Pentagon said it would send 5,200 more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border (NBC News). Grabien data reported by TheWrap counted "caravan" 1,202 times on Fox News, 834 on CNN and 586 on MSNBC from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5, falling to 203, 75 and 110 from Nov. 7 to 13. Media Matters counted 84 New York Times and Washington Post print news stories mentioning the caravan in the eight days before the election and 39 in the eight days after.

• rollcall.com article

  This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!

• NBC News article

  The Pentagon announced Monday it will deploy 5,200 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border

• The Hill article

  no more money or aid will be given to Honduras, effective immediately!

Sources: TheWrap reliable · NBC News reliable · Quartz needs a second source · Media Matters for America needs a second source

Rerun #1

Apr 2018 Trump's April 2018 'Caravans' tweets and border troop deployment

On April 1, 2018, Trump tweeted "'Caravans' coming" and linked it to his call to end any DACA deal. ABC and CNN reported this came shortly after Fox & Friends described the group as an "army of migrants marching to America." PolitiFact rated the claim Half True. It found one caravan of 1,200 to 1,500 people, about 900 miles from the Rio Grande, and noted that an organizer expected most participants to stay in Mexico. Within the week Trump announced a plan to send the military to the border and signed a memo calling for National Guard troops. By then organizers expected only about 200 people to continue to the US.

• x.com social post

  Getting more dangerous. 'Caravans' coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW.

• ABC News article

  About an hour after the second segment ran, Trump -- who is reportedly a frequent 'Fox and Friends' viewer -- tweeted

• CNN article

  By Tuesday, he'd kicked things up a notch, making a surprise announcement at a luncheon: He planned to send the military to guard the border.

Sources: ABC News reliable · PolitiFact reliable · CNN reliable · CNN reliable