Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 20 November 2018

US closes busiest Mexico border crossing for several hours

By YESICA FISCH Most of the migrants who
JULIE WATSON have reached Tijuana via
Associated Press caravan in recent days
TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — set out more than a month
The United States closed ago from Honduras, a
off northbound traffic for country of 9 million people.
several hours at the busiest Dozens of migrants in the
border crossing with Mex- caravan who have been
ico to install new security interviewed by Associated
barriers on Monday, a day Press reporters have said
after hundreds of Tijuana they left their country after
residents protested against death threats.
the presence of thousands But the journey has been
of Central American mi- hard, and many have
grants. turned around.
The U.S. also closed one of Alden Rivera, the Hondu-
two pedestrian crossings at ran ambassador in Mexico,
the San Ysidro crossing in a told the AP on Saturday
move apparently aimed at that 1,800 Hondurans have
preventing any mass rush returned to their country
of migrants across the bor- since the caravan first set
der. out on Oct. 13, and that he
The installation of movable, hopes more will make that
wire-topped barriers threat- The border fence that divides Mexico with the United States is seen in Tecate, Mexico, Sunday, decision. "We want them
ens to complicate life for Nov. 18, 2018. to return to Honduras," said
Mexicans using San Ysidro, Associated Press Rivera.
where about 110,000 peo- The migrants' expected
ple enter the U.S. every day asylum in the U.S. The fed- to care for the group. of Jalisco state, where mi- long stay in Tijuana has
in 40,000 vehicles. eral government estimates "We don't want them in Ti- grants pass on their way raised concerns about the
Long lines backed up in Ti- the number of migrants juana," protesters shouted. to Tijuana, said it would no ability of the border city of
juana, where many people could soon swell to 10,000. Juana Rodriguez, a house- longer provide shelters for more than 1.6 million peo-
have to cross the border to U.S. border inspectors are wife, said the government migrants, citing problems ple to handle the influx.
work on the U.S. side. processing only about 100 needs to conduct back- with fights among migrants Tijuana Mayor Juan Man-
Such inconveniences asylum claims a day at Ti- ground checks on the mi- at a shelter last week. uel Gastelum has called
prompted by the arrival juana's main crossing to grants to make sure they Instead, the state will pro- the migrants' arrival an
of the migrant caravan San Diego. Asylum seekers don't have criminal re- vide water, some food and "avalanche" that the city
may have played a role register their names in a tat- cords. escorts at nine points along is ill-prepared to handle,
in Sunday's protests, when tered notebook managed A block away, fewer than the main highway leading calculating that they will
about 400 Tijuana residents by migrants themselves a dozen Tijuana residents through the state to help be in Tijuana for at least six
waved Mexican flags, sang that had more than 3,000 stood with signs of sup- ensure the migrants don't months as they wait to file
the Mexican national an- names even before the port for the migrants. Keyla have to stop. asylum claims. Gastelum
them and chanted "Out! caravan arrived. Zamarron, a 38-year-old And in Mexico City, au- has appealed to the fed-
Out!" referring to the mi- Some Tijuana residents teacher, said the protesters thorities closed a shelter at eral government for more
grant caravan that arrived supported the migrants, don't represent her way of a sports complex that had assistance to cope with the
in the border city last week. but others accused them thinking as she held a sign once housed thousands influx.
Tensions have built as of being messy, ungrate- saying: "Childhood has no of migrants. The remaining Tijuana officials converted
nearly 3,000 migrants from ful and a danger to the borders." 650 migrants from the third, a municipal gymnasium
the caravan poured into city. They also complained The protests came amid mainly Salvadoran, cara- and recreational complex
Tijuana in recent days af- about how the caravan what may be a harden- van were taken to a Roman into a shelter to keep mi-
ter more than a month on forced its way into Mexico, ing of positions in some Catholic pilgrimage hostel grants out of public spaces.
the road — and with many calling it an "invasion." And northern Mexican states at the Basilica of Guadal- The city's privately run shel-
more months likely ahead they voiced worries that against the migrants. The upe. The city said the hostel ters have a maximum ca-
of them while they seek their taxes might be spent civil defense department would be warmer. pacity of 700. q