# Fall 2018 Central America migrant caravan to the US **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 22, 2018, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313 "2018-10-22T01:39:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/261 "2018-11-02T10:38:30Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > … > > "…unregulated armed militia members … incidents of unregulated militias … Interesting terminology in use by the army. Kind of 2nd amedment-y. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/262 "2018-11-02T11:23:42Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > [The caravan spent Wednesday night in Juchitán](https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1057954569391652864), a mere 866 miles from Brownsville, TX. > > They’ll be pounding on the gates by Monday night, right? :rolleyes: Well, all the baby strollers might slow them down a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/263 "2018-11-02T13:14:15Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Which [we knew 251 posts ago](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21279923&postcount=7). Right? Many posters in this thread, you and I included, have been arguing that the caravan will likely be nothing to worry about by the time it gets here weeks from now. Other posters have been comparing it to the size of armies in historical battles, and believe it is going to get larger with a real risk that it might overwhelm the border crossing once it gets there in as few as a couple days. Well the army agrees with us and not the pants wetting alarmists. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/264 "2018-11-02T14:11:15Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > Well, all the baby strollers might slow them down a bit. An army of babies, huh? An infantry of migrants! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/265 "2018-11-02T17:35:16Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Shepard is an important person in my book and I hope he stays right where he is. He’s about the only newscaster that’s preaching to the unconverted and I hope some of his viewers are listening. > > Every now and then I flip to Fox just to check out the propaganda. I did it a few times during Shepherd’s show and I quickly forgot I wasn’t watching CNN. (post shortened) That must be the fair and balanced part. Shepard Smith hates Trump. He hated Trump when Trump was running for POTUS. He’s also particularly fond of bears on trampolines. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/266 "2018-11-04T13:26:15Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > :rolleyes: > BTW, did you think we wouldn’t notice that you didn’t actually respond to my post, just to the word “whine”. I’m sure the Democrats appreciate your concern for their plight. :rolleyes: I didn’t see anything I hadn’t already addressed. > [@](#): > > In fact, you’re now wasting time arguing with me over nonsense instead of arguing that Republicans are bad. In fact, I’ve never seen you make a case for Republicans to change, only for Democrats. Hmm could have sworn you’re the one that started this. And perhaps the Democrats are in this position because of people like yourself who are sensitive to even constructive criticism. But I can see now that insults and oversensitivity are just your thing so I just won’t engage. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/267 "2018-11-04T23:26:08Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > An army of babies, huh? An infantry of migrants! 😉 Ha! ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/268 "2018-11-06T15:12:30Z")
This article’s title says it all… [Trump’s border deployments could cost $220 million as Pentagon sees no threat from migrant caravan](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/05/trump-border-deployments-could-cost-220-million-pentagon-sees-no-caravan-threat.html) A couple of the bullet points from within… > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump’s move to deploy troops to the U.S.-Mexico border is shaping up to cost $220 million, according to two U.S. defense officials who were not authorized to speak publicly. > [@](#): > > A Pentagon risk assessment found that the caravan did not pose a threat to the United States, a source said. This person also said that the caravan would take about a month and a half to get to the U.S. border. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/269 "2018-11-06T15:21:54Z")
Like I keep on saying, they’ll get here just in time to be part of the War on Christmas. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/270 "2018-11-06T16:30:17Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Like I keep on saying, they’ll get here just in time to be part of the War on Christmas. 🙂 Great, we can call a holiday cease fire before the war even begins! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/271 "2018-11-08T23:28:10Z")
Fox & Friends has already forgotten about the caravan. > [@](#): > > The caravan received heavy coverage on Fox & Friends, where it was portrayed as “an invasion” that Democrats weren’t doing enough to stop. According to transcripts, the caravan was mentioned 19 times on Friday’s edition of the show, 10 times on Monday, and nine times on Tuesday. Fox News has even embedded a reporter with the caravan to provide updates about its progress. > > Yet on Wednesday’s edition of Fox & Friends, it was mentioned just once in passing. > **[Fox News barely mentions "the caravan" the morning after the midterms](https://www.vox.com/2018/11/7/18071658/fox-news-caravan-midterm-elections)** > > An interesting coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![betonbill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@betonbill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betonbill)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/272 "2018-11-09T04:52:42Z")
The caravan appeared so conveniently for the election it might lead one to believe that at least part of the impetus and initial funding for it came from the republicans themselves. After all, the people will arrive in the wintertime–and I do believe that they have winter at the Texas border. Not the most ideal time to be moving to a new and colder country. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/273 "2018-11-09T07:58:50Z")
Winter in Texas is a lot like winter everywhere else, just with more guns. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/274 "2018-11-09T12:08:04Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Winter in Texas is a lot like winter everywhere else, just with more guns. So you’re saying Texas has a lot of right-wing snowflakes? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2018, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/275 "2018-12-10T20:07:16Z")
The threat to our borders must be over: [url=[US starts to withdraw troops from Trump border mission | AP News](https://apnews.com/eea454ccb0004406b1382268802e34f0)]US starts to withdraw troops from Trump border mission [/quote] . Not all of them tho: > [@](#): > > About 2,200 of the active duty troops will be pulled out before the holidays, the officials said, shrinking an unusual domestic deployment that was viewed by critics as a political stunt and a waste of military resources. > > That will leave about 3,000 active duty troops in Texas, Arizona and California, mainly comprised of military police and helicopter transport crews who are assisting border patrol agents. There also will still be about 2,300 members of the National Guard who were sent to the border region as part of a separate deployment that started in April. > > The active duty troops, numbering about 5,200 as of Monday, were initially scheduled to stay until Dec. 15. Late last month, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis extended the mission to the end of January at the request of the Department of Homeland Security. It’s unclear if it will be extended again. Oh wait: the threat to our borders is still on-going and the mission has been extended. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/276 "2018-12-10T21:22:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Not all of them tho:Oh wait: the threat to our borders is still on-going and the mission has been extended. :rolleyes: So how incompetent are the US military forces? We apparently need 5000+ armed, trained soldiers to to defend our nation against – what is it now? 400? 200? – unarmed farmers and toddlers? ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2018, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313/277 "2018-12-10T23:41:55Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > So how incompetent are the US military forces? We apparently need 5000+ armed, trained soldiers to to defend our nation against – what is it now? 400? 200? – unarmed farmers and toddlers? I’m not saying I don’t like our chances. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-2018-central-america-migrant-caravan-to-the-us/823313.md?page=13)