Hundreds of migrants unsuccessfully attempt to cross into US at crossing
Chaos erupted at the southern border Sunday as hundreds of migrants unsuccessfully attempted to enter into the United States through a crossing that links Mexico and Texas.
US officials were able to stop the mass migration effort of people, mostly from Venezuela, that broke through Mexican lines to demand asylum in the US. They were met with barbed wire, barriers and shields, which prevented them from crossing over.
The attempt to enter the US comes after migrants have had trouble securing appointments to seek asylum using a new federal government app. Many of the migrants there Sunday had small children with them.
Some migrants tried to break free at one point when they threw an orange, plastic barrier at the US line, according to Reuters images. Some migrants claimed they were hit with pepper spray to push them back.
“Please, we just want to get in so we can help our families,” said Camila Paz, an 18-year-old Venezuelan as she sobbed. “So I can have a future and help my family.”
Paz called her situation “horrible, horrible.” She’s been trying to cross the border for a month and is running out of money.
The app, called CBP One, has faced glitches and high demand, migrants say, though the US Department of Homeland Security said recent updates to it should speed up the process.
There was pushing and shoving with officials, but the crowd eventually gave up as some dispersed to the banks for the Rio Grande where Customs and Border Protection agents watched them from the other side.
With Post wires