DHS to ‘Caravan’ Migrants: False Asylum Claims Will Be Prosecuted

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen sent a message to members of the “migrant caravan” who are now in Tijuana. The migrants announced they plan to enter the U.S. in massive numbers to declare asylum. Neilsen also addressed her warning to the organizers who may be coaching migrants on how to falsely make a “credible fear” claim.“

If you enter our country illegally, you have broken the law and will be referred for prosecution,” Nielsen stated on Wednesday. “If you make a false immigration claim, you have broken the law and will be referred for prosecution. If you assist or coach an individual in making a false immigration claim, you have broken the law and will be referred for prosecution.”

The Secretary of Homeland Security said she intends to be very clear on the point that the U.S. will enforce its immigration laws, The Hill reported.

Instead, Secretary Nielsen urged the migrants to seek asylum in the first country they entered since leaving their homes.

Caravan organizers said they are regrouping in Tijuana, Breitbart Texas reported on Wednesday. As many as 600 are expected to gather there.

The migrants claim to be fleeing violence, or the threat of violence, in their home countries. However, they have chosen one of Mexico’s most violent cities as a gathering point.

In April alone, nearly 150 people were murdered in Tijuana, Breitbart Texas’ Robert Arce reported. Nearly 700 are reported to have been killed since January 1.

Earlier this week, Nielsen said the DHS will be fast-tracking any caravan asylum cases. The secretary said:

DHS continues to monitor the remnants of the ‘caravan’ of individuals headed to our Southern border with the apparent intention of entering the United States illegally. A sovereign nation that cannot – or worse, chooses not – to defend its borders will soon cease to be a sovereign nation. The Trump Administration is committed to enforcing our immigration laws – whether persons are part of this ‘caravan’ or not.

If members of the ‘caravan’ enter the country illegally, they will be referred for prosecution for illegal entry in accordance with existing law. For those seeking asylum, all individuals may be detained while their claims are adjudicated efficiently and expeditiously, and those found not to have a claim will be promptly removed from the United States.