Thousands of Central American migrants will take at least a few days to rest in a Mexico City stadium as they debate whether to accept offers to stay in Mexico or continue their trek to the U.S. border, the Associated Press reports. Humanitarian aid increased Tuesday for the 4,500 migrants gathered at the Jesus Martinez stadium after an arduous journey that has taken them through three countries in three weeks. Mexico City officials said they are bracing for as many as 5,500 migrants at the sports complex as more trickle in. “Nobody is in more of a hurry than me to get going (to the U.S. border), but we have to go all together,” said Sara Rodriguez of Colon, Honduras. Rodriguez, 34, fled with her 16-year-old daughter Emily, after the girl began to draw unwanted attention from a drug trafficker.
Mexico is offering refugee, asylum or work visas to the migrants. The government said 2,697 temporary visas had been issued to individuals and families while they waited for the 45-day application process for a more permanent status. Rina Valenzuela, from El Salvdor, listened to aid workers from the nonprofit Institute for Women in Migration as they explained the difficulties of applying for and securing asylum in the U.S. She decided she would better off applying for refuge in Mexico. President Trump seized on the caravan as an election issue and portrayed it as a major threat, though such caravans have sprung up regularly over the years and largely passed unnoticed. He ordered thousands of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, vowed to detain asylum seekers in tent cities and insinuated without proof that there are criminals or even terrorists in the group.