Photo: WKTV

By THE PULSE NEWS MEXICO STAFF    

While still haggling with Congress to avoid a government shutdown over his demand for additional monies to fund fa border wall or other border security measures, U.S. President Donald J. Trump scored at least one political victory on Thursday, Dec. 20, when Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced that migrants seeking asylum in the United States entering from the southern border will now be required to wait in Mexico while their claims are being processed.

Under current U.S. immigration law, migrants seeking asylum are allowed to stay in the United States indefinitely while their claims are processed, which can takes months or even years.

The new policy will return the immigrants – regardless of their nationality — to Mexico until their cases are resolved.

In response to the U.S. ruling, Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE) issued a statement saying that, while the Mexican government reaffirms its sovereign right to admit or reject foreigners entering into its territory, it will, “for humanitarian reasons and on a temporary basis,” accept the migrants, even if they are not Mexican citizens.

SRE also stated that all migrants must recognize and obey Mexican law, or be subject to the consequences.

In recent months, more than 7,000 Central American migrants — many in caravans — have made their way to Mexico’s northern border with hopes of receiving political or economic asylum in the United States.

The new ruling will primarily affect them.

Meanwhile, uncertainty regarding the possible U.S. shutdown sent U.S. stocks plummeting for a third day, with the Dow Jones losing nearly 500 points.