US Border Agents Use Crowd Control Measures As Migrants Attempt to Cross Border (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Dramatic footage captured on Sunday showed hundreds of migrants surging across the Paso Del Norte bridge, which connects Mexico and the US, in an attempt to gain entry to America.
The large group, consisting of men, women, and children, tried to demand asylum, prompting US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to use crowd control measures to stem the flow of people.
According to Fox News, CBP agents used "port hardening measures" to deal with the potential threat of a mass entry. Officers in riot patrol gear were also seen on both sides of the border, with some migrants claiming they were targeted with pepper spray.
The mass migration effort occurred amid rumors that the border was to be opened to fast-track asylum applications, according to Mexican outlet Norte Digital. Some migrants expressed their desperation, with Camila Paz, an 18-year-old, saying to Reuters, "Please, we just want to get in so we can help our families, so I can have a future and help my family."
The standoff ended after around four hours, and the Paso Del Norte bridge reopened an hour later, according to officials. Many migrants have lost faith in the asylum system after the Biden administration launched a mobile application called "CBP One," which critics say has failed to meet the high demand.
Republican lawmakers have blamed President Joe Biden for exacerbating problems at the US-Mexico border by removing policies from the Trump era, such as the defunding of the border wall project. Biden, on the other hand, has criticized Republican opposition to immigration reform proposals announced early in his presidency.
