Thousands of Central American migrants travelling to the US remain stranded on Mexico's southern border with Guatemala after clashing with riot police in an attempt to continue their journey in pursuit of the "American dream".

Several members of the huge caravan – which has grown in size since it set off from Honduras last weekend – overran a border gate before police forced them back and closed it again.

Image: The caravan has grown in size since it set off from Honduras last weekend
A group attempt to scale a fence into Mexico
Image: A group attempts to scale a fence into Mexico

Desperate families with women clutching toddlers pleaded with officers to let them through, shouting "there are children here" and "we are hungry".

People could be seen passing babies overhead through the crowd during the tense standoff.

Honduran migrants storm a border checkpoint to cross into Mexico, in Tecun Uman, Guatemala
Image: Migrants clash with riot police on the southern Mexican border
A Mexican riot policeman ushers a father and child away from a clash between migrants and officers
Image: A father and child are ushered away from a clash between migrants and riot police

Groups scaled some of the tall fences preventing them from crossing into Mexico shouting "yes we can" and "Mexico".

Some in a queue stretching across a bridge to the Mexico border from the Guatemalan town of Tecun Uman leapt off it into the Suchiate River below to avoid a checkpoint, as others attempted to get across on wooden rafts.

A Guatemalan firefighter carries a child
Image: Many of the migrants travelling to the US are children
Honduran migrants gather at Guatemala's northern border with Mexico
Image: Migrants gather at Guatemala's northern border with Mexico

Mexican officials said those with passports and valid visas – a tiny minority of those trying to cross the border – would be let in immediately.

They warned anyone caught entering the country illegally would be detained and deported.

Honduran migrants on a bridge approaching the Guatemala-Mexico border
Image: The queue of migrants stretches across a bridge from Guatemala to Mexico
A Honduran jumps from a bridge to avoid a Guatemala-Mexico border checkpoint
Image: A man jumps from a bridge into the Suchiate River to avoid a border checkpoint

The migrants, mainly from Honduras, have said they are fleeing poverty and violence.

"We're staying here until they open this fence," said Adonai Sanchez, 36, who was travelling with his three nephews aged two, three and 14.

Migrants sleep on a bridge approaching the Guatemala-Mexico border
Image: Most of the migrants spent the night on a bridge
A family spends the night at a temporary shelter in Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas state, Mexico
Image: A family spends the night at a temporary shelter in Ciudad Hidalgo in Mexico

Daisy Zuniga said she joined the caravan "because in my country there are no jobs, there is no way to support the kids".

Juan Carlos Montejo added: "Like all Latinos I am looking for the American dream."

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Video: Trump threatens to close Mexico border

The vast majority of the caravan spent the night on the bridge leading to Mexico on towels and refuse bags.

Those let through to apply for refugee status were taken to a temporary shelter in Ciudad Hidalgo.

A family waits to be taken into custody 1:56
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Some retreated further back into Guatemala where shelters provided them with food and water.

Migrants remain unperturbed by Donald Trump's threat to close down the US border with Mexico.

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The US president on Thursday threatened to deploy soldiers to the border with Mexico and close it off to stop the "large caravans" coming to America.

On Friday he told reporters those travelling to the US en masse were not "little angels" but "hardened criminals".

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Mr Trump said: "I don't want them in our country. and neither does our country want them in our country."

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