Mexican residents protest migrants

Residents in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday protested the arrival of approximately 3,000 Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States. While other Mexican cities have given the migrant caravan a warm reception, protesters in Tijuana hurled insults, rocks, and even punches at the migrants. Tijuana residents waved Mexican flags and chanted, “Out! Out!” They accused the migrants of being a danger to the city, calling the caravan an “invasion.”

The migrants, who set out more than a month ago from Honduras, are likely to wait several months in Tijuana for U.S. authorities to process their asylum applications. The United States processes about 100 asylum claims a day at the Tijuana crossing into California. In the meantime, migrants are taking shelter in a converted gym and recreation center and the Mexican government has flown in food and blankets.

Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastélum said the city was ill-prepared to handle the arrival of the migrants and a protracted stay. U.S. President Donald Trump amplified Gastelum’s concerns, tweeting, “Likewise, the U.S. is ill-prepared for this invasion, and will not stand for it.”