SAN YSIDRO (KGTV) - The Department of Homeland Security spoke with journalists for the first time since the new Migrant Protection Protocol became effective and the government reopened.
Senior Hepartment of Homeland Security Officials said more than a dozen single adults have been escorted back to Mexico under the MPP this week. The reasoning behind it, border security.
"They were begging us to build a wall, I mean they were putting pressure on us that area of San Diego, where people were rampant going through," The President said in a press conference Friday morning, echoing the sentiments of the DHS.
"Human trafficking can go down by a tremendous percentage if we had a wall along our southern border," the president added criminals and drugs are also entering the U.S. through migrants seeking asylum.
The Senior DHS Officials explained they take in 30-100 migrants seeking asylum each day at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. This is done in one or two groups, all depending on how much room is available in their detention centers.
The change under the new protocol is once an asylum seeker presents themselves and completes their credible fear interview, they are given a court date, a list of pro bono lawyers, connected with humanitarian benefits in Mexico and escored over the border.
One of the goals of the new protocol in place, the officials said, is to keep families together. They report the majority of those seeking asylum are adult men.
Our sister station Televisa interviewed a man who was turned back to Mexico within hours of presenting himself at the port of entry. He said in Spanish he was frustrated, very sad to not have support frome the U.S., adding the indiference was difficult to bear.
The DHS said there are some people who will not be affected by the MPP, they include those who fear persecution in Mexico and unaccompanies minors. They do not have any timeline as to how or when they will expand the protocol.
DHS also said they are working closely with Mexico to coordinate humanitarian aide for the migrants.
