Thread: Large group of protesters cross to U.S. 5/3/2014

Group of protesters cross to U.S.

Posted: Saturday, May 3, 2014 1:14 pm
Karen Antonacci | The Monitor

HIDALGO — About 40 to 50 Central and South American protesters received a police escort over the Reynosa-Hidalgo International Bridge Saturday morning, bystanders said.

The protesters, mainly women and children, sat inside a holding area in the Customs and Border Protection building with white masks over their noses and mouths. Two CBP officers stood watch of the 40 or 50 people.

They were part of a larger group that were in Reynosa to protest perceived human rights violations, according to Monitor archives. The Hidalgo CBP office received requests for asylum Saturday but an agency spokesman declined to say how many or whether the requests came from the group of protesters.

“I can say it was a substantial amount,” said CBP spokesman Phil Barrera on whether CBP received more requests for asylum than usual.
Barrera also read from a statement that said CBP would not discuss specific immigration cases due to privacy laws.

CBP officers had received information that some of the protesters could possibly try to come across the bridge Friday. On that day, U.S. Border Patrol agents, Texas Rangers, Texas State Troopers, Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Deputies and other agencies assisted CBP officers in watching over the bridge.

Barrera said all of those agencies also stood ready to assist CBP Saturday if they needed it, but could not say which were present. Two Hidalgo police officers stood watch over the pedestrian entry point.

http://www.themonitor.com/news/local...7a43b2370.html

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Central, South American protesters cross Hidalgo bridge, seeking asylum in U.S.

Posted: Saturday, May 3, 2014 9:37 pm
By KAREN ANTONACCI The Monitor

HIDALGO — About 40 to 50 Central and South American protesters received a police escort over the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge Saturday morning, bystanders said.

The protesters, mainly women and children, sat inside a holding area in the Customs and Border Protection building with white masks over their noses and mouths. Two CBP officers stood watch of the 40 or 50 people.

They were part of a larger group that were in Reynosa to protest perceived human rights violations.

The Hidalgo CBP office received requests for asylum Saturday but an agency spokesman declined to say how many or whether the requests came from the group of protesters.

“I can say it was a substantial amount,” said CBP spokesman Phil Barrera on whether CBP received more requests for asylum than usual.

Barrera also read from a statement that said CBP would not discuss specific immigration cases due to privacy laws.

CBP officers had received information that some of the protesters could possibly try to come across the bridge Friday.

On that day, U.S. Border Patrol agents, Texas Rangers, state troopers, Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies and other agencies assisted CBP officers in watching over the bridge.

Barrera said all of those agencies also stood ready to assist CBP Saturday if they needed it, but could not say which were present.

Two Hidalgo police officers stood watch over the pedestrian entry point.

The U.S. received more than 36,000 asylum claims from Central American immigrants upon their arrival in the country last year, double the amount from 2012, The New York Times recently reported.

Local Border Patrol agents have said that many people from Central America fear returning to their home countries, where recent surges in violence and sparse job prospects have prompted their migrations north.

The recent influx of “other than Mexicans” in the Rio Grande Valley requires more investigation from authorities to verify asylum claims, agents have said.

http://www.valleymorningstar.com/new...7a43b2370.html