Central American Refugees

Vocabulary

Video

Transcript

Tonight, the first eight-hundred (800) migrants from the Central American caravan are at America’s doorstep in Tijuana, Mexico. They split off from a larger group of about five-thousand (5,000) and are planning to request asylum here in the US.

John Blackstone is at the border.

The first wave of the migrant caravan arrived unexpectedly early at the US border in Tijuana, where there’s been a fortified wall for decades.

They’ve been looking through the barricade, and some have been climbing it, teasing the border patrol on the other side. A few have even jumped — including today, a woman carrying a baby.

But any attempt to cross here, ends with certain capture.

Rodney Scott, San Diego Border Patrol Sector Chief: “I’d like you to think of border security is the same as your home, and when somebody goes to your home, they’re supposed to go to the front door, and present themselves.”

For now, hundreds are simply setting up camp near where the border meets the Pacific.

Jessie Ramirez, twenty-five (25) from Honduras, says she hopes to seek asylum.

Journalist: “President Trump said you can’t come in.”
Jessie Ramirez, Honduran Asylum Seeker: “We are going to face the struggles, to see if we can make it.”

She hopes Mr. Trump will have a change of heart.

But in preparation for the migrants, the border is being hardened: the US military has placed barricades and barbed wire in places, and at least three lanes were closed at Tijuana, backing up traffic at the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere.

In Texas, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen joined Defense Secretary James Mattis today visiting troops sent to the border there.

James Mattis, US Secretary of Defense: “The only thing we’ve been asked for is to put in obstacles, provide transportation, and to provide housing for border patrol; they’ve had to move a number of border patrol people.”

As many as four-thousand (4,000) migrants are expected to arrive in Tijuana as soon as tomorrow. But with shelters in Tijuana already overflowing, even this first wave is straining the resources in this city of two-and-a-half (2.5) million.

Migrants are continuing to stream up to the border wall here, which has recently been fortified with barbed wire across the top, down by the beach.

But even before the caravan began arriving here, the backlog for asylum requests at the approved Tijuana border crossing was fortified weeks before with some five-hundred (500) people already in line.

So these new arrivals are going to have an extremely long wait, with very little chance of success.

Questions

1. In the report, Mexicans want cross over illegally in the United States. True or false?

2. Is there only a single group of refugees at the US-Mexico border?

3. The current policy of the US government is to welcome and admit the migrants. Is this right or wrong? What is the stance of President Donald Trump?

4. Has the US Border Patrol stepped up their efforts? What has the US Border Patrol done?

5. The US Border Patrol Chief make an analogy or metaphor. Is this right or wrong? What was the analogy?

6. Can the city of Tijuana in Mexico adequately cope with the influx of refugees?

7. Will those seeking asylum be admitted in the US in the next few days or weeks?

A. Why do people migrate or seek asylum or refuge in other places?

B. Migrants bring benefits to host nations. What do you think?

C. Does everyone welcome refugees and immigrants?

D. What might happen in the future?

E. Is there a “solution” to refugee crises?