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Close to 800 more migrants arrive at the border

Hundreds more migrants are expected to arrive in Tijuana Thursday,ahead of a massive caravan.

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - About 800 migrants arrived in Tijuana Thursday, ahead of a massive caravan. 
     
The group has been growing by the hundreds each day, with Thursday's addition doubling the total that have made it to the border.

On Thursday, three lanes remained blocked off at San Ysidro's port of entry into San Diego and there was an increased border patrol presence up and down the fence line.

Sharp wire fencing was being put in place to beef up border security with the barricades and barbed wire on the existing wall. 

Migrant Caravan troops 1

The U.S. military continues to add new wire along the border fence at Friendship Park located along the US-Mexico border in the San Diego/Tijuana region, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. (Courtesy: Danny Wieber)

On Wednesday, nine bus loads arrived into Tijuana's main border crossing, where several were in line waiting for food. Some will be housed in shelters, as long as there’s room in Tijuana. The original caravan has broken up into smaller groups, so more people are expected daily. 

With now some estimating as many as 10,000 migrants to arrive, of those who made it, some celebrated their arrival at the border by climbing the border fence to take a look at the other side. But those who jumped the fence were met by border patrol agents who have vowed to stop illegal crossers.

Chopper 8 footage of a massive military staging at Brown Field Municipal Airport in Otay Mesa, California, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018.

Nearly 6000 U.S. troops are also assisting border patrol agents, in fact, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with those troops and said the deployment of military personnel ordered by President Trump provides good training for war.

Barricades are set up at the San Ysidro port of entry, closing off some lanes for drivers heading northbound from Mexico into the U.S., while razor edge wiring has also been added to the top and bottom of the border fence in order to deter migrants from Central America from entering the US.

Migrant Caravan troops 2

The U.S. military continues to add new wire along the border fence at Friendship Park located along the US-Mexico border in the San Diego/Tijuana region, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. (Courtesy: Danny Wieber)

The Border Patrol released a statement on Friday saying, 

The Border Patrol is prepared for the rapidly evolving situation along the border in San Diego with the daily arrival of caravan members in Tijuana.  We are working closely with our Mexican partners to minimize the impact of the caravan members and discourage unwanted or criminal behavior.  Caravan members are reminded that the proper way to enter or claim asylum in the U.S. is through an official port of entry.  As DHS officials have stated on multiple occasions, “…being a member of a caravan doesn’t give you any special rights to enter the country. If they arrive at a Port of Entry, they will have to wait in line in keeping with the lawful processes at our ports of entry. If they attempt to enter illegally, they will have violated U.S. criminal law and in accordance with the President’s proclamation and the Interim Final Rule they would be ineligible for asylum.” 

Unlawful activity and acts of violence will not be tolerated.  Both U.S. and Mexican law enforcement entities are monitoring caravan activities to ensure the safety of caravan members, the public and our law enforcement officers. 

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