Tijuana Mayor Declares Crisis At Border; DHS Warns Of Criminals, Gang Members Among Caravan
24
November, 2018
The mayor of Tijuana declared an international humanitarian crisis on Thursday following the arrival of more than 6,200 mostly Central American migrants - with more on the way.
During
a press conference, Mayor Juan Manuel Gastélum called on the United
Nations and other international groups to step in and assist with the
massive influx of migrants, reports AZ Central. Up to 10,000 migrants
could eventually end up in Tijuana, according to the federal
government.
For now, the majority of caravan members who have arrived in Tijuana are camped out on a dirt baseball field at an outdoor sports arena and underneath bleachers. The city opened the complex after their other shelters reached capacity, while church groups have chipped in to provide portable showers, bathrooms and sinks. Local businesses, meanwhile, have complained of migrants panhandling and stealing.
Another dawn breaks at the sports complex-turned-shelter for the #MigrantCaravan in #Tijuana. Seven more bus loads of migrants arrived here overnight from #Mexicali. They were allowed inside, but the only space available for most to settle in is the cold/damp baseball field.
The Mayor of Tijuana, Mexico, just stated that “the City is ill-prepared to handle this many migrants, the backlog could last 6 months.” Likewise, the U.S. is ill-prepared for this invasion, and will not stand for it. They are causing crime and big problems in Mexico. Go home!
"They
have categorically omitted and not complied with their legal
obligations," said Gastélum of aid organizations, adding
"So we're
now asking them and international humanitarian aid groups to bring in
and carry out humanitarian assistance."
The municipal government estimated it has spent nearly $27,000 daily to house and care for the nearly 4,700 migrants currently in the city. They are housed mostly in the Unidad Deportiva Benito Juarez, a sport complex converted into a makeshift shelter, but well over capacity since the start of the week. -AZ Central
"I
will not compromise public services," Gastelum told reporters
while speaking from city hall. "I
will not spend Tijuanans' money, I will not bring Tijuana into debt
now, in the same way we haven't done so these past two years."
Gastélum
has drawn both criticism and support in recent days over his strict
approach to the migrant caravan. He was spotted last week wearing a
red hat that reads "Make Tijuana Great Again," while
Tijuana locals have been slinging insults - and
rocks -
at the migrants.
Meanwhile,
a small
group of around 500 of the migrants "slowly
and peacefully pushed within 500 feet of the US border" on
Thursday, pressing against armed Mexican federal police near the
US-Mexico pedestrian crossing, according to the San
Diego Union Tribune.
Asking for more humane conditions in the overflowing Benito Juarez shelter and trying to present themselves to United States immigration authorities for asylum, the group carried white flags as they marched from the migrant camp to the foot of the U.S. pedestrian bridge, a distance of about five city blocks.
...
“There are sick children here, and we are cold and hungry,” said Carlos Lopez, a Honduran who was leading the group. Lopez added it was inappropriate to shelter the women and children outside. “The whole world is watching what is happening here.” -San Diego Union Tribune
The
migrants have demanded better housing conditions and food while they
await US officials to process their asylum requests.
President
Trump, meanwhile, said on Thursday that he's signed an order to close
the US border with Mexico,
and that he has authorized troops to use lethal force gainst migrants
who attempt to enter the US "If they have to."
President Trump: "As you probably see over the news what's happening at our southern border... Large numbers of people, and in many cases we have no idea who they are, and in many cases they are not good people. They are bad people." hill.cm/TBY8QTx
The Department
of Homeland Security on
Monday estimated that there are around 500 criminals traveling in the
caravan.
Paloma Zuniga, a dual Mexican-American citizen who has more than 32,000 followers on a Facebook page called “Paloma for Trump” said she is worried about public safety in Tijuana because some in the group are traveling without ID’s. -San Diego Union Tribune
"We
have no idea who they are, Zuniga said. "Also, we
have a lot of poverty here in Mexico already. We’ve been working
hard, fighting every day to have a better life, to have a better
quality of life, to have more jobs …
and we don’t
feel it’s fair that our government is allowing these people to come
in and giving them benefits we don’t even have as Mexicans."
Sound
familiar?
Meanwhile,
DHS Secretary Kristjen Nielsen warned on Wednesday that the caravan
is "the majority of the caravan that we see is made up
of single adult males or teenage males. In addition, we have
identified over 500 criminals to include known gang members contained
in the flow of the caravan."
On
Wednesday, President Trump hit out against "activist"
judges who continue to strike down his orders to secure the border.
There are a lot of CRIMINALS in the Caravan. We will stop them. Catch and Detain! Judicial Activism, by people who know nothing about security and the safety of our citizens, is putting our country in great danger. Not good!
Trump
threatened to pull all aid and funding from Honduras if its
government does not halt the migrant caravan, and has pressured the
Mexican government to stop the migrants from crossing into the United
States.
On
Tuesday, White House chief of staff John Kelly reportedly signed a
"Cabinet order" which allows US troops stationed at the
border permission to act in a law enforcement capacity, including the
use of lethal force, if necessary
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