U.S. border agents tear-gas migrants
Small group made break for fence at crossing in Tijuana
A major crossing with Mexico was shut down yesterday as a crowd of newly arrived migrants tried to charge through the fencing and breach the border, drawing several rounds of tear gas from U.S. agents.
Mexico’s Interior Ministry said around 500 migrants tried to “violently” enter the U.S.
The ministry said it would immediately deport those people and would reinforce security.
President Trump, who frequently brought up the caravan of thousands of Central Americans during the run-up to the election at the start of the month, yesterday turned his attention back to the border.
“Would be very SMART if Mexico would stop the Caravans long before they get to our Southern Border,” Trump said in a Tweet. “or if originating countries would not let them form (it is a way they get certain people out of their country and dump in U.S. No longer). Dems created this problem. No crossings!”
The chaos developed after a group of Central Americans staged a peace- ful march to appeal for the U.S. to speed up the asylum claims process. The demonstration devolved as they neared the crossing with the U.S. and some saw an opportunity to breach the border. As a small crowd hustled toward the border and tried to get through it, U.S. agents shot several rounds of gas, according to a reporter on the scene.
Migrants sought to squeeze through gaps in wire, climb over fences and peel back metal sheeting to enter.
Children screamed and coughed in the mayhem of the tear gas. Fumes were carried by the wind toward people who were hundreds of feet away, not attempting to enter the U.S.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopters flew overhead, while U.S. agents held vigil on foot beyond the wire fence in California. The Border Patrol office in San Diego tweeted that pedestrian crossings have been suspended at the San Ysidro port of entry at both the East and West facilities.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement that U.S. authorities will continue to have a “robust” presence along the border and they will prosecute anyone who damages federal property or violates U.S. sovereignty.
“DHS will not tolerate this type of lawlessness and will not hesitate to shut down ports of entry for security and public safety reasons,” she said.