Border Patrol agents apprehended suspected members of the Central American caravan who attempted to trespass into the United States instead of applying for asylum on three different occasions this weekend.
Approximately 25 people, including three nationals from India, were spotted and taken into custody by immigration officers after illegally entering California by Imperial Beach, an international boundary fence where caravan members have been televised climbing and sitting on.
The Trump administration announced late Monday criminal charges against 11 people it caught crossing a few miles west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California from Mexico. Others apprehended but not being prosecuted at this time were from Guatemala, India, Mexico, and El Salvador.
Justice Department documents state officials have reason to believe they were part of the caravan that originated south of Mexico in March.
“The United States will not stand by as our immigration laws are ignored and our nation’s safety is jeopardized,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.
“U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman and his team should be commended for quickly filing illegal entry charges for individuals apprehended along the southwestern border. We will continue to work with our partners in each U.S. Attorney’s Offices to aggressively pursue prosecutions of criminal illegal entry.”
The charges were filed in the U.S. District Court for the South District of California. One of the 11 suspects was additionally charged with illegal entry after being previously deported, which is a felony.
