THE BIGGEST RISK
What is the migrant caravan, which countries are they fleeing from and where are they going?
The group in Mexico appears to be the biggest ever
THOUSANDS of people are currently making their way from Central America towards the United States.
The migrants say they are fleeing violence and poverty, and the group includes hundreds of women and children. We take a look at what is going on and what Donald Trump had to say about it.
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What is the migrant caravan?
The migrant caravan is largely made up of young men and women with children fleeing Central America's violence, poverty and corruption.
Most are from Honduras, but hundreds have also joined from El Salvador and Guatemala.
The caravan began in Honduras and plans to head through Mexico to the US, with many claiming to be fleeing gang violence and poverty.
The group allegedly grew to more than 7,000 by the time it reached the Guatemalan border, fuelled by word of mouth and media coverage even as U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted criticism of the caravan.
The caravan otherwise has been overwhelmingly peaceful, receiving applause and donated food from residents of the towns they pass.
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What is their latest location?
The caravan is slowly advancing into Mexico.
The group is at least 1,140 miles (1,830km) from the nearest border crossing McAllen, Texas, on the morning of October 2.
The caravan stormed through a border gate in Tecun Uman, Guatemala, on Friday, October 19, as they ran across a bridge over the Suchiate River towards Mexico.
The group were first met with resistance from Guatemalan authorities, but managed to get to the Mexican border.
Here they were fired at with tear gas by Mexican police, but the crowd persevered and was eventually granted entry into Mexico to continue marching towards America.
Early on Sunday, October 21, the large caravan started walking northwards from the Mexican border city of Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas.
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Did all the migrants enter Mexico together?
No, just over 2,000 managed to cross into Mexico illegally.
According to the Associated Press news agency, the 2,000 or so who took the decision to continue their journey did so by voting with a show of hands.
They were heard chanting: "Let's all walk together!" and "Yes, we can!”.
They were not detained by the authorities upon crossing the border, despite orders from the US.
The remaining migrants were left stranded at the border in an attempt to enter Mexico legally.
The Mexican authorities accepted small groups for asylum processing and handed out 45-day visitor permits to others.
A handful boarded transport organised by the Guatemalan authorities to return to Honduras voluntarily.
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What has Donald Trump said?
Donald Trump has falsely accused the Democrats of "encouraging millions of illegal aliens to break our laws, violate our borders and overwhelm our nation".
On Monday night, he called the caravan an "assault on our country" and suggested "Democrats had something to do with it." He added: "We need a wall built fast", speaking at a rally in Texas on October 23.
Donald Trump has threatened to deploy troops and close the border with Mexico if the migrant caravan is not stopped from proceeding.
Trump made his threats in a series of tweets on Thursday.
He tweeted: “I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught – and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!”
Trump said stopping the caravan was a bigger priority than a new trade deal between Canada, Mexico and the US.
The President said: “The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA.
"Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border.”
If the border is closed, the move could cause huge disruptions to trade.
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Trump also reiterated a threat to cut off millions in aid to Honduras on Thursday.
He tweeted: “Stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population.”
On October 22 he tweeted: "Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S.
"We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them."
Donald Trump vows to send in soldiers and close US border with Mexico completely to stop 6,000-strong migrant caravan
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