Several videos have emerged on the internet which allegedly show hundreds of migrants forcing their way into the United States via the Mexico border. The chaos was instigated by a rumour that the border was being opened owing to a supposed ‘day of the migrants’, AP reported.
On Sunday, a huge crowd of mostly Venezuelans thronged the Paso Del Norte bridge linking Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez to El Paso, Texas.
Asylum-seekers in the US have been miffed by the long delays in the process, which is now facilitated through a new mobile application called Customs and Border Protection (CBP One) released by the Biden government.
Visuals shared widely on social media showed the elderly, women and children rushing to the border with chants of ‘to the USA’. The crowd was blocked by barbed wire, increased military power and shields, Fox News reported. As per Reuters images, some migrants flung an orange, plastic barrier at the US line, which was met with pepper spray attacks.
However, after unsuccessful attempts to get past the border, the frustrated group went to the banks of the Rio Grande where they were monitored by US immigration officials arrayed on the other side.
Also read: US to limit asylum to migrants who pass through a third nation
Appointments must now be booked through the app as those seeking asylum were required to apply in advance rather than upon arrival.
“Do not just show up at the border,” President Joe Biden said in a speech while trying to rein in the massive number of migrants opting for dangerous routes of illegal entry organised by smugglers. While assuming office, Biden had promised refuge to asylum seekers and to scrap harsh detention rules for illegal immigrants.
About 200,000 people attempt to cross the border from Mexico to the US every month. Poverty and violence are the key factors that drive the extensive migration from Central and South America.
