Thousands of Central American migrants arrived in Zapopan in the state of Jalisco on Monday. Most are heading to Guadalajara, about 240km (150 miles) to the west.
To control the influx, Zapopan’s municipality had arranged for lorries and trailers to carry migrants to the Benito Juarez auditorium on the city’s outskirts.
“Once a friend died. He fell under a lorry on the motorway. That’s why we’re being more careful on the journey,” said one migrant speaking of the hazards involved in hitching rides on his inter-city journey through Mexico.
The migrants, mostly fleeing violence and poverty, have been travelling for almost a month after the group first formed in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The caravan is expected to travel 2,800km (1,740 miles) towards the US southern border at Tijuana.