San Diego Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott joined CNN this morning and defended the actions of his colleagues and told the network that the caravan members would push women and children towards the front of their group and then begin to hurl rocks at border agents.
“What I find unconscionable is that people would intentionally take children into this situation. What we saw over and over yesterday was that the caravan would push women and children towards the front and then begin (throwing rocks at) our agents,” said Scott.
The border patrol chief also shot down the mainstream media narrative of “peaceful protests” and asylum seekers.
“I kind of challenge that this was a peaceful protest or that the majority of these people were claiming asylum. We ended up making 42 arrests, only eight of those were females and there were only a few children involved. The vast majority of the people we’re dealing with are adult males.”
“Similar to what we saw the first wave of the caravan, the group immediately started throwing rocks and debris at our agents, taunting the agents…,” he said.
CNN host John Berman said to Scott, “You took issue with the idea that these were people seeking asylum. The caravan, though, 5,000 to 9,000, depending on which count you believe that is in Tijuana right now, those are people coming to the border, as far as you know, for asylum, isn’t it?”
“I do not believe that is true. I believe there are definitely people in that group that are trying — that are going to try to claim asylum,” Scott replied. “The vast majority of those, from what we call the northern triangle are economic migrants, though.”
. “What I saw at the border yesterday was not people walking up to Border Agents and asking to claim asylum. Matter of fact, one of the groups that I watched … they passed 10 or 15 marked Border Patrol agents walking … west to east, numerous uniformed personnel, as they were chanting, waving a Honduran flag and throwing rocks at the agents,” he said. “If they were truly asylum seekers, they would’ve just walked up with their hands up and surrendered, and that did not take place,” he said.
