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At a Mississippi night roundtable on his bipartisan criminal justice reform effort, President Trump accused migrants he identified as "people taking over" and who rushed Sunday to San Ysidro, California. They used mostly children as human shields at the border. .
"We have had very violent people, and we do not want to, frankly, members of our society," Trump said during the event in Biloxi, which included law enforcement officials. of Mississippi and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. "We do not want any of these people in our country, three members of the Border Patrol were seriously injured yesterday, stricken with stones and pebbles."
Earlier Monday, Kevin K. McAleenan, US Commissioner for Customs and Border Protection, said four officers wearing protective gear were hit by stones during an "extremely dangerous situation", but were not seriously injured.
The president turned to widely-released footage of Sunday's episode, showing migrants fleeing with children while tear gas cartridges landed nearby. Videos and images from the port of entry also showed migrants throwing what appeared to be rocks over the fence and attempting to cross the wall.
"I say – why are they there? First of all, tear gas is a very minor form of tear gas itself – it is very safe, those who suffered to some extent were the ones who put it in. you really say, why does a parent come to an area where he knows that the tear gas is forming, and he will form, and run with a child? "
PATROL OF BOUNDARIES UNDER MIGRANTS OF OBJECTIVE TO PEPPER OBAMA AT THE SAME PORT OF ENTRY IN 2013
McAleenan said Monday that at least 69 people had been arrested after crossing the border on Sunday, and that he was unaware of any of those people who would have managed to cross the border. and escape their capture by US authorities.
Trump continued: "In some cases, you know, it's not the parents, it's people, they call them" grabbers "- they catch the child, because They think they have a certain status by having a You know, you have certain advantages and certain things with our crazy laws that Congress should frankly change You know, if you change the laws, you will not have this problem. "
A family of migrants, part of a caravan of thousands of people from Central America heading for the United States, fleeing tear gas at the border wall between the United States and Mexico in Tijuana Sunday.
(Reuters)
It was an apparent reference to Trump's long-running criticism of Flores' consent decree, made during litigation under the administration of former President Bill Clinton, which apparently limits the time that the authorities Federal may hold to arrest illegal immigrant minors who are taken with their parents.
After the president introduced a zero-tolerance policy that all illegal immigrants should be subject to criminal prosecution, officials said the Flores decree legally barred them from keeping adults and children together. for more than two weeks. In the midst of harsh criticism, Trump signed a decree this summer banning family separations at the border, although lawsuits are pending.
WATCH: HUNDREDS OF MIGRANTS TRY TO COME TO PORT STORM ENTRY TO SAN YSIDRO
The president made it clear that "they feel an advantage when they are with a young child … they call them" catchers ", it's a term that I've heard … They catch a child, because when they have a child, they feel much safer … When you know that there will be a risk of violence, you will find that there will have tear gas or something like that – you do not take your child and do not bring it with him.I can say it all over the world.You have a lot of people who catch children and who do not take it. have no idea who these children are.They are not parents.They do not know.And frankly, leaving children to these people, it's a disaster. "
In a belated statement on Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen confirmed Trump's remarks.
"They catch a child, because when they have a child, they feel a lot safer."
"It seems that in some cases, the organizers use the limited number of women and children in the caravan as" human shield "when they face the forces of order," Nielsen said. "The organizers of the caravan endanger them, as we saw on the border between Mexico and Guatemala, which endangers vulnerable people."
At the White House earlier in the day, Trump similarly defended the border patrol authorities who fired tear gas.
"They had to use it, they were rushed by very hard people," Trump said. "And so they used tear gas, so here's the bottom line: no one comes to our country unless they enter legally."
The situation on Sunday was not unprecedented. In 2013, under the Obama administration, border police officers used a pepper spray to repel a hundred migrants who were trying to rush to the port of San Ysidro entrance. The migrants in this episode also reportedly threw stones and bottles at US authorities.
Nevertheless, prominent Democrats lined up to hammer the administration on Monday as images of migrants fleeing tear gas were circulating. New York Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, for example, described the use of "horrible" tear gas.
Other analysts have suggested that an overhaul of the immigration system might be necessary to deter staff members of any future caravan of migrants from deploying similar efforts, without encouraging illegal migration. John Cerone, visiting professor of international law at Tufts University's Fletcher School, told Fox News that he would recommend "the creation of new categories of visas that people can apply for without having to physically visit the United States." United at first ".
At the round table, Mr Trump said that the episode at the border on Sunday had stressed the importance of building a strong protective wall.
"The only small breach of yesterday, we dealt with it very well and quickly, and apprehended those who broke, was in a place where the wall was not yet built – it was not there. was not finished, "said Trump. "When people look at what is happening at the border, they agree … with what we do, very strongly."
The President stated that he would have no reservations about the closure of the entire Southern Border, saying that any trade impact would encourage Mexico to control the situation of migrants in that country. . Trump also said Mexican police were injured.
"I'm going to close it for a long time," said Trump. "And as far as trade is concerned, it does not concern me, because Mexico has done very well with trade with the United States."
He added, "I guess because of the quality of the country, we have many more people [coming]. It does not happen by chance. Something is happening in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador – you see how this is organized. They distribute papers. "
In his statement Monday night, Nielsen, the DHS official, said that "the overwhelming majority" of caravan members "do not qualify for asylum in the United States under our laws" .
Describing Monday's episode as "totally predictable," Nielsen said, DHS confirmed that there were "more than 600 convicted criminals traveling with the caravan stream," including "known individuals from the US forces." Order for assault, assault, drug-related crimes, burglary, rape, child abuse and more. " She added that Mexico had already arrested at least 100 migrants from the caravan.
"The search for a job or family reunion do not constitute grounds for asylum under our laws."
"Most of these migrants are looking for a job or joining their family who are already in the United States," said Nielsen. "They have all denied many opportunities to seek protection in Mexico or from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.Searching for a job or family reunification is not a motive for". 39, asylum under our laws, nor any international obligation. "
The main purpose of Monday's roundtable was to discuss the so-called first step law, the first major rewrite of national laws on sentencing for a generation, that would stimulate efforts to rehabilitate federal prisoners. and give judges more discretion when sentencing. , especially for drug-related offenses.
In particular, the bill reduces the mandatory minimum sentence for non-violent drug-related offenders from 20 years to 20 years, minimum mandatory sentences for other crimes from 20 to 15 years, and makes no distinction. between cocaine powder and crack.
Trump highlighted recent criminal justice reform efforts in Texas, Kentucky, and Georgia, and said "many people have changed their minds" on the subject.
"If you look at some of the people who support this most," says Trump, "it's very impressive – people who are truly in the world of force and law and order, and they are totally in favor of that, as much as anyone. "
WHAT IS STEP ACT, TRUMP'S MAJOR TRUMP CRIMINAL JUSTICE REINFORCEMENT INITIATIVE?
The roundtable took place just an hour before the second round of the day's campaign in Mississippi to support outgoing GOP Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, who will face Democrat Mike Espy in the run-off election.
Samuel Chamberlain of Fox News contributed to this report.
