On Monday, just hours after U.S. Border Patrol Agents fired tear gas at Central American Migrants at the border, Donald Trump demanded Mexico return asylum-seekers back to their countries.
Trump’s tweet also came just hours after he falsely claimed to have the “exact same policy as the Obama Administration” in regards to child separation at the border.
“Mexico should move the flag-waving Migrants, many of whom are stone cold criminals, back to their countries,” Trump wrote on Twitter, casting a negative light on the migrants, despite the contrast shown in photos. “Do it by plane, do it by bus, do it any way you want, but they are NOT coming into the U.S.A.”
As he continued, Trump threatened to close the border permanently, if the issue could not be resolved.
“We will close the Border permanently if need be. Congress, fund the WALL!”
According to The Hill, hundreds of Central American migrants camped out near the border, fleeing from violence and poverty in their respective countries. However, tensions flared when a few attempted to breach the border, illegally.
That’s when officials fired the tear gas, which in turn, violently drove away several women and their children.
“DHS will not tolerate this type of lawlessness and will not hesitate to shut down ports of entry for security and public safety reasons,” Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement.
In the meantime, according to the NY Post, more than 5,000 migrants are in Tijuana, hoping to apply for asylum in the US.
