A sign that demands a reply came from the Tijuana (Mexico) Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum who strongly stated that the “migrant caravan” has become a humanitarian crisis. He said he cannot “continue to fund the shelters for migrants without federal support.”

The Tijuana mayor said that owing to the arrival of the caravan, he might be “forced to raise taxes for his town’s 1.7 million residents,” whom he describes as having “already suffered

from clashes” on the border of the United States.

News reports came in periodically zeroing in on some 6,000 Central American migrants, who arrived in Tijuana to allow them to attempt to cross the U.S. border.  Tijuana set up

a tent city camp reported as having borne worsening conditions, night after night with heavy winds and rains, leaving wet garments, sleeping bags and litter all around town after the overcrowded areas became flooded.

Accompanying the descriptions of deplorable conditions that confronted the migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, local groups launched protests against the deplorable “treatment of

migrants.”

To wit, in Rock Island, Illinois, after having seen images and reading stories of migrants being tear gassed by border patrol agents, half-a-dozen organizations and religious

congregations came together as they immediately called for change.

People rallied in front of the Federal Immigration Offices in Rock Island ostensibly to “call on the director to meet with local groups and hear their concerns.”  Aside from the treatment

of migrants, the demonstrators were vocal in expressing their complaints about their worries: that asylum seekers at the border could be detained rather than having their asylum requests

processed.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported how a convicted murderer identified as a native of Honduras, was arrested for illegal entry as part of the migrant caravan, after

illegally entering the U.S. with members of the same migrants. Advocates for the migrant caravan which numbered thousands of Central Americans heading across Mexico to the U.S. were

described as having “challenged federal estimates that 600 criminals were traveling in the groups.”  But U.S. officials explained that the “latest arrests,” were combined with “arrests in

Mexico.”

More news reports sought to explain the constituency of the caravan members, described mostly as men who did not mention their aspirations for asylum.

A population analyst reported that the “inner sanctum” of the Tijuana shelter for the caravan, consisted of Central American migrants.  “From what we’ve seen, the majority are actually men, and some of these men have not articulated that need for asylum.”

The same analyst continued to state: “Instead, they have talked about going to the United States for a better life and to find work.”

In the wake of President Trump’s threats to close the entire border, hundreds of migrants were apparently attempting to rush toward a California port of entry.  Numerous images and

videos posted on social media showed hundreds of migrants from the Central American caravan pushing past Mexican riot police and rushing the border at the port of entry in San Ysidro,

California, in a major test for both U.S. border authorities and Mexican officials.

Tear gas which was evidently fired from the U.S. side of the border was denounced fleetingly as caught on television accounts.  As a direct result of the use of tear gas on those who

attempted to cross the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials suspended northbound and southbound vehicle and pedestrian crossings at the aforementioned San Ysidro

port.

In view of the deplorable accounts of tear gas used on the migrants who attempted to cross the border, outrageous responses came from all over the world.  U.S. border agents were denounced as they justified their action as propelled by caravan migrants who threw rocks at law enforcement.  The same agents were seen as having shot rounds of gas on those

who tried to cross the same border, to repel about 500 migrants in their attempts to flee.

With only about 60 asylum claims being processed daily and food scarce in their tent city on the Mexican side, the Central American migrants who attempted to climb the border were described as “fleeing for their lives.”

What was the Trump reaction to the usage of tear gas?

“They (in reference to the border agents) were being rushed by some very tough people.  Nobody is coming into our country unless they come in legally.”

California Governor-elect Gavin Newsom was heard to say as he saw the incident on TV, “These children are barefoot in diapers, choking on tear gas.  That’s not my America.”

Sadly, the border agents were accused of “overkill.”

Will there be more such border patrol agents discharged with the use of tear gas meant to repel migrants?  It is indeed an issue which touches on the humanitarian causes.

 

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