According to Texas Tribune, the Trump administration on Monday announced it was sending more federal immigration attorneys, judges, prosecutors and asylum officers to the border to prepare for a possible influx of Central Americans arriving as part of an annual caravan – with the aim of swiftly prosecuting the migrants and, in many cases, returning them to their home countries.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement that members of the caravan who enter the country illegally will be referred for prosecution and others seeking asylum will be adjudicated quickly and deported if their claims are without merit.
“If you enter the United States illegally, let me be clear: you have broken the law. And we will enforce the law through prosecution of illegal border crossers,” Nielsen said in a statement. “DHS encourages persons with asylum or other similar claims to seek protection in the first safe country they enter, including Mexico.”
As Written By Anna Giaritelli With Washington Examiner:
President Trump directed Nielsen on Monday to block large groups of migrants who have begun to arrive at the border.
“Despite the Democrat-inspired laws on Sanctuary Cities and the Border being so bad and one-sided, I have instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security not to let these large Caravans of people into our Country. It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive! WALL,” Trump tweeted.
Trump said negotiations over a new North American Free Trade Agreement must include language that prevents Central Americans from getting into Mexico through its southern border.
Reports say that America could see hundreds of more immigrants at its borders before the week is out. The question now is, what action, if any, will Congress take to protect U.S. citizens?