SAN YSIDRO (NEWS 8) - Long lines backed up in Tijuana, where several people cross the border to work on the U.S. side Monday after border officials temporarily shutdown the northbound lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials temporarily suspended vehicle processing for northbound travelers at the San Ysidro port of entry early Monday to position additional port hardening materials as crews secure the border in response to thousand of Central American migrants who have arrived via caravan.
In addition, CBP suspended processing northbound pedestrian travelers at the San Ysidro Pedestrian East facility; but continued to allow pedestrian travelers to use the Pedestrian West facility at San Ysidro to cross northbound into the U.S.
By 6:25 a.m. Monday, CBP resumed processing northbound vehicle traffic in select lanes at the border crossing, the southbound vehicle lanes were not affected.
Long lines backed up in Tijuana Monday after CBP officials shut down lanes into the U.S. at the San Ysidro port of entry, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018.
In the early morning hours, CBP officials received reports of groups of persons from the caravan gathering in the city of Tijuana for a possible attempt or attempts to rush illegally through the port of entry instead of presenting themselves as required to a CBP officer. CBP officials suspended operations to safely place impediments at the port of entry that would restrict access to a large group attempting to run through the border crossing. After the CBP response at San Ysidro, no activity materialized at the border crossing.
“CBP will not allow for the unlawful entry of persons into the United States, at or between our ports of entry,” said Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “Waiting until a large group of persons mass at the border to attempt an illegal crossing is too late for us; we need to be prepared prior to when they arrive at the border crossing.”
About 110,000 people enter the U.S. every day by way of the San Ysidro port of entry, according to border patrol.
On Sunday, Tijuana residents gathered around a monument to express their concerns, many calling it an "invasion."
Part of Friendship Park, on the U.S. side of the border near the shoreline, has been closed since an incident Thursday night, in which people on the Mexican side allegedly threw rocks at American officials.
Tensions have built as nearly 3,000 migrants from the caravan poured into Tijuana in recent days after more than a month on the road, and with many more months ahead of them while they seek asylum. The federal government estimates the number of migrants could soon swell to 10,000.
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