TENSIONS

Mexico Calls for Investigation Into Tear Gas Used by U.S. Agents on Migrants

In connection with two separate incidents on the southern border.

Mexico has called on the United States to investigate the use of tear gas, smoke, and pepper spray against a group of 150 migrants attempting to cross the southern border, The New York Times reports. Mexico’s foreign ministry sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. Embassy on Thursday requesting “a thorough investigation” regarding two episodes, on Jan. 1 and Nov. 25, in which American agents near San Diego sent tear gas over the border. According to the Times, the note said Mexico “deplores the occurrence of any sort of violent act on the border with Mexico.” Officials there said they would hold a meeting with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Border Violence Prevention Council in their steadfast “commitment to safeguard the human rights and safety of all migrants,” the Times reports. U.S. authorities have maintained that they only fired tear gas on migrants throwing rocks, though some migrants have disputed that. Fernando Duarte, 22, of Honduras, told the Times he saw the tear gas affect small children. “That’s when people got furious and started throwing rocks, and I joined them,” he was quoted as saying. “I was so mad they were throwing that gas when they know there were children with us.”

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