The U.S President Donald Trump has announced that stone-throwing migrants at the US-Mexico border might be shot by the U.S military. He also announced a proposal of limited rights to apply for asylum. The president said in a speech at the White House that he was looking to limit asylum claims just to those who applied at legal entry points. He claimed the move was essential due to a series of migrant caravans is still 1,000 miles away from the U.S border. He said, “Asylum is not a program for those living in poverty. There are billions of people in the world living at the poverty level. The United States can’t possibly absorb them all”. Trump has expanded his tough standpoint on illegal immigration. It is an issue that appeals to his core supporters, before midterm elections on Tuesday.
The U.S midterm elections will decide the control of his Republican Party in the U.S Congress. Trump said that asylum is a very specific protection based on those fleeing persecution. The migrants are making their way northwards and most of them from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. These regions are suffering from poverty and high levels of violence. He said that some had thrown stones and attacked Mexican police and troops at the borders. He also referenced to clashes took place between Mexican security forces from more than 1,500 migrants at the Guatemala-Mexico border. At least one migrant reported dead in the recent clashes. Last weekend, the third group of more than 500 migrants from El Salvador entered Guatemala.