Sessions sends more immigration judges, prosecutors to border; tells caravan: 'People should wait their turn'

3 hrs ago
By Samuel Chamberlain | Fox News

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Wednesday that the Justice Department was sending dozens of additional prosecutors and immigration judges to the U.S.-Mexico border to pursue cases against illegal border crossers while warning members of a controversial "caravan" that they "should wait their turn" to enter the U.S.

According to Sessions, 35 assistant U.S. attorneys would go to the frontier to "prosecute illegal entries into our country" while 18 immigration judges would focus "full-time" on clearing a backlog of asylum claims.

"We are not going to let this country be overwhelmed," Sessions told reporters in Washington. "People are not going to caravan or otherwise stampede our border. We need legality and integrity in the system. People should wait their turn, ask to apply lawfully before they enter our country."

Sessions spoke after 28 members of a caravan of Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States were accepted for processing by U.S. border inspectors at San Diego's San Ysidro crossing.

The caravan, which at times grew to more than 1,000 people, began winding its way toward the U.S. on March 25 and eventually incurred the wrath of President Trump, who repeatedly tweeted that it was a gross example of lax immigration laws.

As of Tuesday, about 140 migrants were still waiting in Mexico to turn themselves in at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, the nation's busiest, according to Alex Mensing, project organizer for Pueblo Sin Fronteras, which is leading the caravan.

Asylum-seekers are typically held up to three days at the border and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If they pass initial screenings by asylum officers, they may be detained or released with ankle monitors while their cases wind through immigration court, which can take years.

The courts often conduct business behind closed doors. Files are not public, and, unlike criminal or civil courts, access for journalists and others is limited.

When asked if the caravan members were subject to humanitarian concerns, Sessions answered: "We're treating people fine ... It’s not my problem. It’s not the United States Border Patrol’s problem when people try to force their way into the country unlawfully."

"The numbers have been increasing again heading into the summer," Sessions said, "and we want the world to know ... that we have a generous legal system for immigration. We admit 1.1 million people lawfully every year and those people should wait their turn."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018...heir-turn.html