U.S. Agents Spray Tear Gas At Migrants, Briefly Close Tijuana Border Entry

U.S. military and border agents secure the United States-Mexico border at the San Ysidro border crossing south of San Diego, Calif. on Nov. 25.

Sandy Huffaker / AFP/Getty Images

U.S. agents fired tear gas at a group of migrants on Sunday as they tried to cross into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico.

The incident took place at the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry between Tijuana and San Diego, where tens of thousands of people cross between the U.S. and Mexico each day.

In recent days, more than 5,000 migrants have been camped in Tijuana after arriving in Mexico from Central America. Many of the migrants are seeking to apply for asylum in the U.S., but as James Fredrick reported for NPR, fewer than 100 asylum petitions per day are being processed at the San Ysidro entry point.