The migrant caravan the left-leaning media has been gushing over finally reached the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday, and things got violent.
Migrants threw rocks and projectiles at border patrol, and one San Diego agent said the group, which is made up of mostly men, used women and children as human shields. Naturally, leftist media outlets tried to downplay the violence and turn it against President Donald Trump, lambasting the use of tear gas against the caravan, even though the Obama administration did the same thing.
On Monday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen released a statement in an attempt to explain what the migrant caravan actually is and dispel some myths being reported by the media. Nielsen laid out six points relating to the caravan, its makeup, and its purpose, adding additional points about how the Trump administration is responding.
1. The Caravan Is Violent
Nielsen called the violence seen on Sunday “entirely predictable,” and said it had been attacking border police in Mexico and other Central American countries.
“I refuse to believe that anyone honestly maintains that attacking law enforcement with rocks and projectiles is acceptable. It is shocking that I have to explain this, but officers can be seriously or fatally injured in such attacks. Self-defense isn’t debatable for most law-abiding Americans,” Nielsen wrote.
2. The Caravan Is Large And Organized
Nielsen said the current caravan “is far larger and more organized than previous ones,” with upwards of 8,500 members currently in Tijuana and Mexicali. She also noted reports of other caravans making their way to the border.
3. Caravan Members Are Largely Not Eligible For Asylum
The media has been claiming the caravan is full of abused women and children fleeing violence and seeking asylum (despite an actual asylum-seeking process already existing). As Nielsen notes, this isn’t accurate.
“Historically, less than 10% of those who claim asylum from #Guatemala, #Honduras, and #ElSalvador are found eligible by a federal judge. 90% are not eligible,” Nielson wrote.
Nielsen said most of the migrants are seeking jobs or looking to reunite with family in the U.S., which are not grounds for asylum and have their own legal process to follow. Also, these migrants have refused to seek protection in Mexico or with a United Nations refugee agency.
4. Caravan Members Are Largely Male
Despite media reports of women and children seeking asylum, the caravan is made up of mostly men. When an MSNBC anchor tried to tee up a reporter to confirm the caravan was full of women and children, the reporter admitted that it was mostly made up of men.
5. Yes, There Are Criminals Among The Caravan Members
Nielsen said the backgrounds of the caravan members could not be confirmed, which poses a risk to U.S. safety. She also said that the DHS has confirmed the presence of criminals.
“However, at this point we have confirmed that there are over 600 convicted criminals traveling with the caravan flow. This includes individuals known to law enforcement for assault, battery, drug crimes, burglary, rape, child abuse and more. This is serious,” Nielsen said.
She also said 100 caravan members have been arrested in Mexico for crimes in that country.
Granted, that’s 600 out of 8,500 and counting, but to pretend the caravan is full of abused women and children fleeing violence is just wrong.
6. No One Was Killed Or Injured During The Violence On Sunday
Nielsen praised border patrol agents for their response to the violence on Sunday.
“It is a testament to their training and professionalism that no one was injured. The accepted use of nonlethal force (also used by the Obama Administration in 2013) prevented further injury to agents and a mass illegal rush across the border. We will not shy away from protecting our people,” Nielsen wrote.
She added that parents should not put children in danger by trying to illegally cross into the U.S.
Keep in mind that these are the administration’s talking points, but reports from on the ground and government agencies contradict the picture painted by the left-leaning media. And for those concerned with accepting an administration’s claims, just remember how uncritically the media accepted everything the Obama administration said.
Read Nielsen’s full statement below, as posted to Facebook.