May 2, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Sessions sending prosecutors, judges to border in caravan crackdown

Khorri Atkinson

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Wednesday the Department of Justice will send 35 prosecutors and 18 judges to the southern border to tighten efforts to prosecute caravan migrants entering the country.

The details: The Justice Department added that “prosecutors to handle the prosecutions of improper entry, illegal reentry, and alien smuggling cases, and additional immigration judges to handle the adjudication of immigration court cases that result from the crisis at the Southwest border.”

State of play: Session said 15 assistant U.S. attorneys will be allocated to Texas, eight to California, six to Arizona and six to New Mexico.

Timing: This comes days after scores of Central American migrants, fleeing violence in countries like Honduras and seeking U.S. asylum status, made their way through Mexico arriving at California's San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego. The Justice Department said Monday it has filed filed complaints against 11 members of the caravan and charged them with illegally entry.

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Sessions sending prosecutors, judges to border in caravan crackdown

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