Beto O’Rourke: Deal with border crisis ‘the right way and follow our own laws’

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) said Monday the U.S. should follow its own standing immigration laws in dealing with the caravan of migrants attempting to cross the border.

“Let’s do this the right way and follow our own laws,” O’Rourke, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in the recent midterms, wrote in a post on Medium. “Allow asylum seekers to petition for asylum at our ports of entry.”

“They must do so peacefully and follow our laws; but we must also ensure the capacity to effectively and timely process those claims (right now 5,000 waiting in Tijuana and only 40 to 100 are processed a day),” he continued. “Those who have a credible fear of returning to their home country (as determined by a U.S. judge) will be able stay until their full asylum request has been determined.

{mosads}”Those applicants ultimately granted asylum will then live in the U.S., make us a better country for being here, and those who are not granted asylum will be returned to their home country,” he added.

Tensions escalated at the border Sunday after migrants attempted to force their way across the border. Mexican federal police attempted to stop the group, but failed, after which U.S. authorities fired tear gas on the group.

Mexico said Sunday it will deport almost 500 migrants who tried to cross into the U.S. “violently” and “illegally.”

Trump Monday urged Mexico to deport the group and said he would close the border “permanently if need be.”

Mexico should move the flag waving Migrants, many of whom are stone cold criminals, back to their countries. Do it by plane, do it by bus, do it anyway you want, but they are NOT coming into the U.S.A. We will close the Border permanently if need be. Congress, fund the WALL!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018

The Washington Post reported Saturday that Mexico has agreed to allow asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed in U.S. courts.

Incoming Mexican interior minister Olga Sánchez Cordero, though, told The Associated Press Saturday that there has been no such agreement.