What Happened: There are now three migrant caravans moving through Mexico from Central America, according to an Oct. 30 report from Excelsior. The first caravan is currently heading toward Juchitan in the state of Oaxaca, while the second recently broke through the Tecun Uman border crossing with Guatemala and is now in Metapa de Dominguez in the state of Chiapas. The third caravan apparently crossed the Suchiate River into Mexico on Oct. 30.

Why It Matters: The prominent political issue of migrant caravans increases the pressure on the U.S. government to stem the flow of people either by banning Central American asylum seekers or taking a harder stance on Mexico and other Central American countries to halt the migrants.

Background: As uncertainty among potential migrants following the election of Donald Trump dissipates, there is an increase in migrant flows across Central America. However, levels of illegal migration to the United States remain well below their record highs almost 20 years ago.

An estimated 7,000 Central American migrants making their way through Mexico toward the United States have become a prominent headline in the daily news cycle. The Central Americans intend to request asylum when they finally reach the U.S. border with Mexico, most likely in Texas' Rio Grande Valley. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut assistance to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, the three countries where most of the migrants come from.