TIJUANA, Mexico (KGTV) — Hundreds of migrants in Tijuana were forcibly moved from an encampment just south of the border over the weekend.
Tijuana Police, the Mexican National Guard and the army showed up around 4 a.m. Sunday, before the sun was up, to move the nearly 400 migrants from the makeshift encampment.
Officials were seen using construction equipment and manpower to remove and break down the tents in place for nearly a year.
The Biden administration formed the El Chaparral camp, located just south of the PedWest Port of Entry in San Ysidro, in January 2021. Migrants hoped they'd be able to claim asylum as the "Remain in Mexico" program was winding down.
The Biden administration has since reinstated the program due to a court order and expanded it to include other nationalities.
Tijuana's mayor says the relocation was necessary to avoid a "collapse." Other Mexican officials believe the living conditions at the shelter were not safe, and they say migrants were given time to gather their belongings and move to one of three shelters.
Many have called the move inhumane, saying some migrants did not have a chance to grab their belongings and argue there is no space at local shelters.
Tijuana officials say it was done early in the morning to avoid traffic in the city.
Immigration advocates call the relocation a failure from both the Mexican and U.S. administrations.
