Migrants rush to cross US border before Trump takes office

Migrants from Central American countries are rushing to cross the southern US border before President-elect Donald Trump takes office early next year, a report says.

Trump has recently reiterated his plans to deport undocumented immigrants, saying he would begin expelling millions of them “immediately” after swearing in on January 20.

Days after winning the presidential election on November 8, Trump said that approximately two to three million "criminals" will be either deported or jailed when he takes office.

During his election campaign, the billionaire businessman had vowed to adopt a hardline immigration approach that included increased deportations and the construction of a massive wall along the US-Mexico border.

Officials from Central American countries told the Reuters news agency on Thursday that many people are accelerating their plans to reach the United States before the real estate mogul is sworn in.

American authorities have detained at least 410,000 people entering the US without having valid documents so far this year on the border with Mexico. Most of them came from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

"We're worried because we're seeing a rise in the flow of migrants leaving the country, who have been urged to leave by coyotes telling them that they have to reach the United States before Trump takes office," said Maria Andrea Matamoros, Honduras’s deputy foreign minister. The "coyotes" are persons who smuggle people from Latin America across the US border.

US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said on Wednesday that agencies have seen a rise in the number of immigrants apprehended in recent days.

"I have authorized [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to acquire additional detention space so that those apprehended at the border and not eligible for humanitarian relief can be detained and sent home as soon as possible," Johnson said.

"Those who attempt to enter our country illegally must know that, consistent with our laws and our values, we must and we will send you back,” he added.

Trump’s campaign had been hit with many controversies since its inception in early 2015. But he still managed to stun the world by defeating the heavily-favored Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, in the November 8 election.

Thousands of people since then have rallied in cities across the US to protest against Trump's victory, condemning his controversial campaign rhetoric against Muslims, immigrants, women and other groups.

The real estate mogul's controversial comments include a call to ban all Muslims from coming to America as well as stopping Mexican migrants by building a long wall along the US-Mexico border.

He has also sought a database to track Muslims across the United States and said that the US would have "absolutely no choice" but to close down mosques.

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