The situation in the Mexican border city of Tijuana has stabilized after local law enforcement had to use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of around 500 migrants who were attempting to storm the US border on Sunday, Captain of the Municipal Police in Tijuana Victor Manuel Coronel Quintero told Sputnik.
TIJUANA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th November, 2018) The situation in the Mexican border city of Tijuana has stabilized after local law enforcement had to use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of around 500 migrants who were attempting to storm the US border on Sunday, Captain of the Municipal Police in Tijuana Victor Manuel Coronel Quintero told Sputnik.
Law enforcement's use of tear gas against unarmed asylum seekers prompted criticism from some US lawmakers, who deemed the measures unnecessary and cruel.
"Since [Monday], everything has been calm, there hasn't been any major problems ... With what happened Sunday, it served to let them know it's not as easy as they were told," Coronel said.
Many migrants are starting to look for work in Mexico while others are volunteering to return to their home countries, the local police captain continued, adding that an estimated 100 migrants have already volunteered to go home.
Coronel confirmed that asylum seekers continue to gather at the Benito Juarez migrant camp in northern Tijuana where they are provided shelter and medical aid.
Last week, a caravan of about 5,600 asylum-seeking migrants from poor Central American countries reached the Mexican cities of Tijuana and Mexicali, both located just across the US border. US authorities have deployed several thousand troops to prevent the caravan from crossing the border, while US President Donald Trump has called for parts of it to be closed.
