Report: Customs illegally turned away asylum-seekers

A new inspector general’s report says customs officers at the Tecate , California border crossing illegally turned away asylum seekers after they entered the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security ‘s Office of Inspector General found customs officers positioned themselves near the line separating the U.S. and Mexico to block migrants from trying to request protection. However, it says officers were actually standing several feet behind the international line. That means the immigrants were actually inside the U.S. when redirected to another port of entry about 40-miles away.

Investigators say that put asylum seekers in danger by making them travel through the same country they were trying to flee.

Officers say they sent migrants to a different port because Tecate wasn’t equipped to process or detain asylum seekers.