The Department of Homeland Security confirmed President Donald Trump’s assertion that there are criminals traveling in a migrant caravan bound for the U.S., in a series of Tuesday tweets.
.@DHSgov can confirm that there are individuals within the caravan who are gang members or have significant criminal histories.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) October 23, 2018
Photo credit should read ORLANDO ESTRADA/AFP/Getty Images
Trump made the claim of criminals within the caravan on Twitter last week saying:
Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy. Must change laws!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2018
DHS also addressed Trump’s claim that there are a number of Middle Easterners in the caravan. DHS did not explicitly say there are Middle Easterners within the caravan itself but noted that they and other nationalities often try to arrive in the U.S. via the southern border.
Photo by John Moore/Getty Images
Citizens of countries outside Central America, including countries in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and elsewhere are currently traveling through Mexico toward the U.S.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) October 23, 2018
The caravan has swelled to nearly 6,000 people with the apparent intention of entering the U.S. and claiming asylum. Current U.S. law requires a lengthy asylum adjudication process and the Trump administration believes many migrants are using loopholes in U.S. law to illegally immigrate.