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A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 27 November 2018

Trump strongly defends use of tear gas on caravan migrants

By COLLEEN LONG and EL- On the west side of the
LIOT SPAGAT, Associated crossing, some tried to get
Press through razor-wire fenc-
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Presi- ing in a concrete levee
dent Donald Trump is that separates the two
strongly defending the countries. On the east
U.S. use of tear gas at the side, some pulled back a
Mexican border to repel a panel of fencing made of
crowd of migrants that in- Army surplus steel landing
cluded angry rock-throw- mats to create an open-
ers but also barefoot, cry- ing of about 4 feet, through
ing children. which a group of more
Critics denounced the than 30 people crossed,
border agents’ action as according to a U.S. official
overkill, but Trump kept to a who was not authorized to
hard line. discuss the matter publicly
“They were being rushed and spoke on condition of
by some very tough people anonymity. Others made it
and they used tear gas,” over a steel fence farther
Trump said Monday of the east. McAleenan said four
previous day’s encounter. A Central American migrant is stopped by U.S. agents who order him to go back to the Mexican agents were struck with
“Here’s the bottom line: side of the border, after a group of migrants got past Mexican police at the Chaparral crossing in rocks but were not injured
Nobody is coming into our Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018, at the border with San Ysidro, California. because they were wear-
country unless they come Associated Press. ing protective gear.
in legally.” van at the border included to California for similar But U.S. Customs and Bor- Border Protection agents
The showdown at the San “stone cold criminals.” work. The military’s role is der Protection Commis- launched pepper spray
Diego-Tijuana border cross- Mario Figueroa — Tijuana’s limited largely to erecting sioner Kevin McAleenan balls in addition to tear
ing has thrown into sharp social services department barriers along the border said the administration’s gas in what officials said
relief two competing narra- director who is overseeing and providing transporta- concerns about the cara- were on-the-spot deci-
tives about the caravan of operations at the sports tion and logistical support van “were borne out and sions made by agents. U.S.
migrants hoping to apply complex where most of to Customs and Border Pro- on fully display” Sunday. troops deployed to the bor-
for asylum but stuck on the the migrants in the cara- tection. McAleenan said hundreds der on Trump’s orders were
Mexican sider. Trump por- van are staying — said as Democratic lawmak- — perhaps more than not involved in the opera-
trays them as a threat to of Friday that of the 4,938 ers and immigrant rights 1,000 — people attempted tion.
U.S. national security, intent staying there, 933 were groups blasted the border to rush vehicle lanes at the “The agents on scene, in
on exploiting America’s women, 889 were children agents’ Sunday tactics. San Ysidro crossing. Mexi- their professional judg-
asylum law, but others insist and 3,105 were men, which “These children are bare- can authorities estimat- ment, made the decision
he is exaggerating to stoke includes fathers traveling foot. In diapers. Choking on ed the crowd at 500. The to address those assaults
fears and achieve his politi- with families along with sin- tear gas,” California Gov- chaos followed what be- using less lethal devices,”
cal goals. gle men. ernor-elect Gavin Newsom gan as a peaceful march McAleenan told reporters.
The sheer size of the cara- The U.S. military said Mon- tweeted. “Women and to appeal for the U.S. to The scene was reminis-
van makes it unusual. day that about 300 troops children who left their lives speed processing of asy- cent of the 1980s and early
“I think it’s so unprecedent- who had been deployed behind -- seeking peace lum claims. 1990s when large groups
ed that everyone is hang- in south Texas and Arizona and asylum -- were met After being stopped by of migrants rushed vehicle
ing their own fears and as part of a border security with violence and fear. Mexican authorities, the lanes at San Ysidro and
political agendas on the mission have been moved That’s not my America.” migrants split into groups. overwhelmed Border Pa-
caravan,” said Andrew trol agents in nearby streets
Selee, president of the Mi- and fields.
gration Policy Institute, a U.S. authorities made 69 ar-
nonpartisan think tank that rests on Sunday. Mexican
studies immigration. “You authorities said 39 people
can call it scary, you can were arrested in Mexico.
call it hopeful, you can call The incident left many mi-
it a sign of human misery. grants feeling they had lost
You can hang whatever whatever possibility they
angle you want to on it.” might have had for making
Trump rails against migrant asylum cases.
caravans as dangerous Isauro Mejia, 46, of Cortes,
groups of mostly single Honduras, looked for a cup
men. That view featured of coffee Monday morn-
heavily in his speeches ing after spending Sunday
during the midterm elec- caught up in the clash.
tion campaign when sev- “The way things went yes-
eral were hundreds of miles terday ... I think there is no
away, traveling on foot. chance,” he said.
Officials have said some Mexico’s Interior Minis-
500 members are crimi- try said in a statement it
nals, but haven’t backed would immediately deport
that up with details on why A Honduran migrant lies on the riverbank as Mexican police move away from tear gas fired by those people arrested on
they think so. On Monday, U.S. agents at the Mexico-U.S. border in Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. its side and would reinforce
Trump tweeted the cara- Associated Press. security.q