US fired
tear gas into Mexico early on New Year's Day, by FoxNews, 1/1/19.
TIJUANA, Mexico – U.S. authorities fired tear gas into Mexico during the early
hours of the New Year to repel about 150 migrants who tried to breach the
border fence in Tijuana.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that
about 45 migrants got through the first layer of fencing but turned back when
they saw the border patrol's presence early Tuesday. CBP said migrants began to
throw rocks at agents from the Mexican side while others tried to cross the
concertina wire, including passing "toddler-sized children" over the
wire.
Border
patrol officers responded by firing smoke, pepper spray and tear gas at the
rock throwers in Mexico, distinguishing them from those who were trying to
cross the fence line, CBP said.
"No
agents witnessed any of the migrants at the fence line, including children,
experiencing effects of the chemical agents, which were targeted at the rock
throwers further away," the statement said.
However,
an Associated Press photographer saw at least three volleys of gas launched
onto the Mexican side near Tijuana's beach that affected the migrants,
including women and children, as well as journalists. The AP saw rocks thrown
only after U.S. agents fired the tear gas.
The AP
photographer was on the Mexican side of the border, while border patrol agents
who provided the information for the CBP statement were on the U.S. side.
The
incident took place between a highway and the border fence.
The area is flat near the highway, then slopes sharply downward closer to the
fence, where most of the migrants were clustered.
U.S.
authorities also had a helicopter flying over the scene during the incident so
presumably the government has video that could show what was happening on both
sides.
The agency
said 25 migrants were detained, while others crawled back into Mexico through a
hole under the fence.
CBP said
that under its use of force policy, the incident would be reviewed by its
Office of Professional Responsibility.
Migrants
who spoke with AP said they arrived in Tijuana last month with the caravan from
Honduras. The caravan left Honduras in mid-October and grew to more than 6,000
members during its month-and-a-half trek north. It has been a constant target
of President Donald Trump, who referred to it frequently before U.S. midterm
elections in November.
Many of
the migrants are waiting in Tijuana for a chance to apply for asylum in the
U.S., but there was a backlog before the caravan's arrival and the wait is
expected to be many months. Others have found jobs in Mexico and tried to
settle there.
In a previous
incident, U.S. agents launched tear gas across the border after some migrants
tried to breach the border following a peaceful march in Tijuana on Nov. 26.
Hundreds of migrants who were downwind of the gas were affected.
Trump has
been locked in a fight with Congress over funding for the border wall that he
wants to build. The stalemate has led to a partial government shutdown.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody
GA Tea Party Leader
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