US Border Patrol Installs Extra Barriers Ahead Of Migrant Caravan Arrival - Statement

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2018) US immigration officials suspended all northbound traffic on the US-Mexico border crossing in California early morning to install additional security barriers to prepare for numerous migrants arriving at the border, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said in a press release on Monday.

"The lanes were closed to install additional port hardening materials at the port of entry, to include jersey barriers and concertina wire, to prepare for the potential arrival of thousands of people migrating in a caravan heading towards the border of the United States," the release said.

CBP took the additional security steps after receiving reports that groups of migrants from the caravan had gathered in the Mexican border city of Tijuana and were planning to rush illegally through the US port of entry, the release added.

CBP suspended operations at the San Ysidro port of entry for about three hours early Monday morning. All US-bound vehicle traffic at the international bridge including US-bound pedestrian processing, was halted, the release noted.

Recently, some 40 buses with migrants have entered the Mexican state of Sonora, and are on their way to Tijuana, where some 2,000 migrants have already gathered in the hope of crossing into the United States.

The caravan set out from Honduras in the direction of Mexico and the United States on October 13 hoping to obtain asylum. According to UN estimates, the caravan includes more than 7,000 migrants. However, Mexican authorities have said that the caravan marching through its territory included around 3,600 migrants.