PBS NewsHour: Tear Gas at the US Border

US border patrol officers fired tear gas to deter asylum seekers crossing the border from Mexico. The asylum seekers, many starting in Honduras, formed a caravan hoping for strength in numbers and media attention on their flight from poverty and drug-cartel violence. US officials regard the caravan as a security threat although photographs and videos show a crowd consisting of many women and young children. US officials also describe the migrants as violent, suggesting without evidence that convicted criminals use women and children as shields. Protests, unsanitary conditions in temporary camps, shutdown of the border crossing for a few hours and long delays in processing claims add to the confusion. “Still, pressure from human rights groups continues, and Mexico’s ministry of foreign affairs requested that U.S. authorities thoroughly investigate the use of non-lethal weapons in the border area of Tijuana and San Diego,” notes a report from PBS NewsHour. Another report suggests the Trump administation continues to separate children and parents at the border. To reduce migrant pressures, the US could curb its demand for illegal drugs and increase support for family planning and education. – YaleGlobal