President Trump threatened to permanently close the U.S. border with Mexico on Monday, saying he'll take the drastic action if members of a swelling migrant caravan are not deported back to their Central American homelands
U.S. Border Patrol fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets at a group of migrants on Sunday, including families with young children, as hundreds tried to storm the border
The agency said the action came after some threw 'projectiles' that hit border officers
The confrontation produced chaos and new dangers that prompted U.S. officials to close the crossing between Tijuana and San Diego, stopping everyone in their tracks – including thousands travelling legally between the U
S. and Mexico.The border reopened Monday morning, but Trump tweeted a stern warning to Mexico: Deport the migrants, a horde that includes 'stone cold criminals,' or see the economically critical crossing sealed permanently
He called for Congress to fund his border wall with Mexico at a time when congressional Democrats are counting down the final weeks before they take over the House of Representatives
'Mexico should move the flag waving Migrants, many of whom are stone cold criminals, back to their countries
Do it by plane, do it by bus, do it anyway you want, but they are NOT coming into the U
S.A.,' Trump tweeted. 'We will close the Border permanently if need be. Congress, fund the WALL!'The president's ultimatum played on TV screens worldwide Monday morning, alongside images of children screaming and coughing in Sunday's mayhem at the San Ysidro Port of Entry as Border Patrol officers tried to push the surging mass of people back
more videos 1 2 3 Watch video Tear gas fired at migrant caravan as it tries to cross border Watch video Cravan migrants try to break through Mexico-US border fence Watch video New video shows body of Alabama mall shooter lifeless on the floor Watch video Cowardly moment man sucker punches female store clerk in the face Watch video Trumps depart Mar-a-lago together while son Barron rides alone Watch video GRAPHIC CONTENT: Cops shoot unarmed black teenager on roof Watch video Prince Harry and Meghan to move to royal Windsor estate Watch video Racist woman said she prefers white people sitting next to her Watch video Migrants throw stones at patrol agents as they storm US border Watch video Teen shot seven times at school performs with Colts cheerleaders Watch video Mourners attend funeral service for the late Kim Porter Watch video That's not the bride! Best man swaps places during first look photos 'Today, several migrants threw projectiles at the agents in San Diego,' U
S. Customs and Border Protection tweeted on Sunday. 'Border Patrol agents deployed tear gas to dispel the group because of the risk to agents' safety
Several agents were hit by the projectiles.'The crowd control tactics began when migrants tried to cut a hole in razor wire on the Mexican side of the fence
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said she would not put up with the 'lawlessness' and threatened harsh punishments for 'anyone who destroys federal property, endangers our frontline operators, or violates our sovereignty
'Nielsen confirmed that border personnel were 'struck by projectiles thrown by caravan members
' She condemned those responsible for their 'dangerous' actions that were 'not consistent with peacefully seeking asylum
'Mexico also vowed to deport about 500 migrants who tried to 'violently' and 'illegally' cross the U
S. border on Sunday, according to the Mexican Interior Ministry.'30 migrants were able to breach the US border today,' according to a tweet from a Buzzfeed reporter based in Mexico who spoke with officials there
A statement from the Mexican government agency said authorities had contained the migrants' insurgency
More than 5,000 of them, mostly asylum seekers, have been camped in and around a sports complex in Tijuana after making their way through Mexico in recent weeks
Agents at the San Ysidro entry point are processing fewer than 100 asylum petitions a day
Despite heightened tensions there, Mexico said they would not send military forces to control 7,417 migrants from a caravan currently amassed at the U
S.-Mexico border.Honduran migrant Ana Zuniga, 23, said she saw migrants open a small hole in concertina wire at a gap on the Mexican side of a levee, at which point U
S. agents fired tear gas at them.'We ran, but when you run the gas asphyxiates you more,' she told the AP while cradling her three-year-old daughter Valery in her arms
Mexico pledged to shore up security near its border with the United States and local authorities said that 39 migrants were arrested after a peaceful march devolved into chaos
Mexico's Milenio TV also showed images of several migrants at the border trying to jump over the fence
Yards away on the U.S. side, shoppers streamed in and out of an outlet mall.U.S. Border Patrol helicopters flew overhead, while U
S. agents held vigil on foot beyond the wire fence in California. The Border Patrol office in San Diego said via Twitter that pedestrian crossings have been suspended at the San Ysidro port of entry at both the East and West facilities
All northbound and southbound traffic was halted.San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer tweeted on Sunday: 'It is critical that U
S. and Mexican federal leaders work together to safely resolve the migrant crisis
'Our way of life relies on a safe, secure and functioning border. 'From travel to shipping to daily commutes between San Diego and Tijuana, it is essential to our community
' .They appeared to easily pass through without using violence, and some of the migrants called on each other to remain peaceful
They convened the demonstration to try to pressure the U.S. to hear their asylum claims and carried hand-painted American and Honduran flags while chanting: 'We are not criminals! We are international workers!'A second line of Mexican police carrying plastic riot shields stood guard outside a Mexican customs and immigration plaza
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Share this article Share That line of police had installed tall steel panels behind them outside the Chaparral crossing on the Mexican side of the border
Migrants were asked by police to turn back toward Mexico. 'We can't have all these people here,' Mujica told The Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday to express his displeasure with the caravans in Mexico
'Would be very SMART if Mexico would stop the Caravans long before they get to our Southern Border, 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),' he wrote. Earlier on Sunday, Nielsen tweetedSunday: 'This AM, @CBP was forced to close the #SanYsidro POE to ensure public safety in response to a large # of migrants seeking to illegally enter the U
S.'They attempted to breach legacy fence infrastructure along the border & sought to harm CBP personnel by throwing projectiles @ them
'@DHS will not tolerate this type of lawlessness & will not hesitate to shut down POEs for security reasons
'We'll seek to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who destroys federal property, endangers our frontline operators, or violates our sovereignty
'#CBP along w other DHS, federal, state & local law enforcement, & the @DeptofDefense, have a robust presence along the SW Border and at our POEs
We remain in close contact with Mexican authorities and are committed to resolving this situation safely in concert with them
' In a later tweet, she condemned members of the caravan throwing objects at border personnel
She wrote: 'Today CBP (Customs and Border Protection) personnel were struck by projectiles thrown by caravan members
'Such actions are dangerous & not consistent w peacefully seeking asylum. The perpetrators will be prosecuted
I will continue to aggressively support DHS personnel as they work to safely secure our border
' On Friday night, a mother-of-two was impaled after she tried to scale a U.S.-Mexico border fence in San Diego
According to U.S. Border Patrol, the 26-year-old woman from Guatemala was with her two children, aged three and five, when she climbed the fence near the San Ysidro Port of Entry
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that she climbed a fence east of the port and where construction crews were putting up a new barrier to replace the old fencing
The mother lost her balance and fell, and pieces of rebar pierced her side and buttocks
Border Patrol told the Union-Tribune that it was dispatched to give medical aid around 8
30pm and asked for help from the San Diego Fire Department.The woman was taken to the hospital by paramedics with non-life threatening injuries
FULL TEXT OF STATEMENT BY HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KIRSTJEN NIELSEN ON BORDER CHAOS This morning, CBP was forced to close the San Ysidro Port of Entry to ensure public safety in response to large numbers of migrants seeking to enter the U
S. illegally. After being prevented from entering the Port of Entry, some of these migrants attempted to breach legacy fence infrastructure along the border and sought to harm CBP personnel by throwing projectiles at them
As I have continually stated, DHS will not tolerate this type of lawlessness and will not hesitate to shut down ports of entry for security and public safety reasons
We will also seek to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who destroys federal property, endangers our frontline operators, or violates our nation's sovereignty
CBP, along with other DHS law enforcement, federal law enforcement, the U.S. military and state and local law enforcement, will continue to have a robust presence along the Southwest Border and at our ports of entry to prevent illegal entry or violence
We continue to stay in close contact with Mexican authorities and we remain committed to resolving this situation safely in concert with our Mexican partners
Her children were also evaluated for trauma and, when they were cleared, were released to the custody of Border Patrol
No information was available on whether the woman was planning to claim asylum in the U
S.Border Patrol Agent Eduardo Olmos told City News Service that the woman told agents she was not part of the migrant caravan that arrived in Tijuana last week
'Entering our country illegally, particularly over our walls is not only dangerous, but also very foolish,' San Diego's Chief Border Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said on Saturday
'This woman placed her own life and her children's lives in peril. She could have easily died if not for the quick response by our agents and EMS
'Lurbin Sarmiento, 26, of Copan, Honduras walked back to the sports complex with her 4-year-old daughter shaken from what had unfolded a short time earlier at the Tijuana River and U
S. border.She had been at the bottom of the river - a concrete riverbed conveying a trickle of water - near the border with her daughter when U
S. agents fired tear gas.Sarmiento said: 'We ran, but the smoke always reached us and my daughter was choking
' She added she never would have gotten that close with her daughter if she thought there would be gas
more videos 1 2 3 Watch video Tear gas fired at migrant caravan as it tries to cross border Watch video Cravan migrants try to break through Mexico-US border fence Watch video New video shows body of Alabama mall shooter lifeless on the floor Watch video Cowardly moment man sucker punches female store clerk in the face Watch video Trumps depart Mar-a-lago together while son Barron rides alone Watch video GRAPHIC CONTENT: Cops shoot unarmed black teenager on roof Watch video Prince Harry and Meghan to move to royal Windsor estate Watch video Racist woman said she prefers white people sitting next to her Watch video Migrants throw stones at patrol agents as they storm US border Watch video Teen shot seven times at school performs with Colts cheerleaders Watch video Mourners attend funeral service for the late Kim Porter Watch video That's not the bride! Best man swaps places during first look photos The gas reached hundreds of migrants protesting near the border after some of them attempted to get through the fencing and wire separating the two countries
Officials say the rebar was part of ongoing construction and not related to the U
S. military's recent mission to fortify the fence from the caravan. .The President reacted to a 60 Minutes segment which found that the family separation policy, in which migrant children were detained separately from their parents, was implemented earlier and in greater numbers than was originally acknowledged
Trump claimed that the family separation policy was initially implemented by the Obama administration, though this is incorrect
'60 Minutes did a phony story about child separation when they know we had the exact same policy as the Obama Administration,' the President tweeted
'In fact a picture of children in jails was used by other Fake Media to show how bad (cruel) we are, but it was in 2014 during O years
'Obama separated children from parents, as did Bush etc., because that is the policy and law
'I tried to keep them together but the problem is, when you do that, vast numbers of additional people storm the Border
'So with Obama seperation is fine, but with Trump it's not. Fake 60 Minutes!' On Saturday, Trump claimed on his Twitter account that he and the incoming Mexican government agreed to a hold asylum seekers south of the border while their claims were processed in U
S. courts.Trump tweeted on Saturday: 'Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court
'We only will allow those who come into our Country legally. Other than that our very strong policy is Catch and Detain
No 'Releasing' into the U.S.'All will stay in Mexico. If for any reason it becomes necessary, we will CLOSE our Southern Border
'There is no way that the United States will, after decades of abuse, put up with this costly and dangerous situation anymore!' Trump's tweet comes after Mexican officials said there was 'no agreement of any type' between its Government and the United States that will require asylum seekers to wait in the country while their claims move through U
S. courts. Olga Sanchez Cordero, the top domestic policy official for president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who takes office on December 1, ruled out that Mexico would be declared a 'safe third country' for asylum claimants
This followed a Washington Post report of a deal with the Trump administration known as 'Remain in Mexico,' which quoted her calling it a 'short-term solution
'The plan, according to the newspaper, foresees migrants staying in Mexico while their asylum claims in the United States are being processed, potentially ending a system President Donald Trump decries as 'catch and release' that has until now often allowed those seeking refuge to wait on safer U
S. soil.Meanwhile an investigation by the Miami Herald revealed that the political violence in Honduras, which has contributed to an exodus of migrants, was sometimes carried out with U
S. made weapons used by the government's paramilitary force.The Honduran military police should not possess U
S.-made rifles sold under private arms licensing agreements, according to the State Department
Alejandra Martínez, who is now part of the migrant caravan, was targeted by a gang in Honduras who opened fire on him and a group of his friends
'We know that the guns come from the United States,' Martínez told the Miami Herald at the time of the bloodshed
'These guns have no business in Honduras. They should stay in the United States. They are sending them to Honduras to kill us
'More than a dozen people were shot and killed by the military police in the post-election violence, including several children, according to United Nations investigators
more videos 1 2 3 Watch video Tear gas fired at migrant caravan as it tries to cross border Watch video Cravan migrants try to break through Mexico-US border fence Watch video New video shows body of Alabama mall shooter lifeless on the floor Watch video Cowardly moment man sucker punches female store clerk in the face Watch video Trumps depart Mar-a-lago together while son Barron rides alone Watch video GRAPHIC CONTENT: Cops shoot unarmed black teenager on roof Watch video Prince Harry and Meghan to move to royal Windsor estate Watch video Racist woman said she prefers white people sitting next to her Watch video Migrants throw stones at patrol agents as they storm US border Watch video Teen shot seven times at school performs with Colts cheerleaders Watch video Mourners attend funeral service for the late Kim Porter Watch video That's not the bride! Best man swaps places during first look photos More than 30 were wounded by the paramilitary unit, a repressive force that answers directly to the Honduran president
The migrant caravan that left Honduras in mid-October was mostly well received by the towns it passed through along the way to the border
Even cities with few resources made sure the migrants had food and a place to rest
But in those places, the caravan stayed at most two nights with the exception of Mexico City
In Tijuana, many of the migrants who are fleeing violence and poverty are seeking asylum in the United States and face the prospect of spending months in the border city before they have the opportunity to speak with a U
S. official.Gastelum said Friday that the Mexican government has talked about sending 20 tons of resources to Tijuana to help but that three-fourths consisted of materials to reinforce the border and only 5 tons were for the migrants
The mayor also criticized the federal government for not taking more seriously Trump's threat Thursday to shut down the border if his administration determined Mexico had lost 'control' of the situation in Tijuana
'That's serious,' he said.
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