Migrant caravan temporarily pauses in southern Mexico

The leaders of a caravan of Central American migrants making its way toward the U.S. southern border called for its members to stop and rest near the Mexican town of Tapanatepec, about 1,000 miles from the U.S. border, The Associated Press reported.
The group has received some assistance from Mexican federal agencies, the AP reported, but has pledged it will push forward in its journey toward the southern U.S. border.
Tensions within the group appeared to boil over on Saturday night when some members reportedly began attacking a man who was urging the migrants to wait their turn for food and water to be distributed.
As the man ran away, a rumor spread that he took a child for protection, though that claim was later disproven, the AP reported.
{mosads}Several caravan members denounced the attack on Sunday, the AP reported.
Thousands of migrants fleeing violence and poverty in Central American have been trekking north through Mexico in recent days.
The AP reported that Mexican government agencies have assisted the group at times, offering water and giving rides to some individuals who had fallen behind the group.
More than 1,700 members of the caravan reportedly accepted offers from Mexican authorities, including the country’s president Enrique Peña Nieto, to stay in Mexico and apply for asylum there.
Thousands of others continued north in their trek toward the U.S.
The caravan has been a point of focus for President Trump and Republicans with less than two weeks left until the midterm elections. The president has painted the group as an imminent threat to the U.S. border, and suggested without evidence that Democrats may be funding the caravan.
The Trump administration is reportedly weighing an executive order that could block Central Americans from claiming asylum once they reach the U.S. border. While a White House official cautioned nothing has been decided, they acknowledged the administration is “considering a wide range” of potential legal options.
Updated at 2:50 p.m.
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