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Nielsen claims asylum seekers are not being turned away at ports of entry

Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee on border security on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 6, 2019. Credit: Jim WATSON, AFP, Getty Images

“Madam Secretary, either you’re lying to this committee or you don’t know what’s happening at the border.”

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen faced brutal questioning about the rights of asylum seekers from Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA), during a hearing Wednesday before the House Homeland Security Committee.

Seeking asylum in the United States is not a crime. However, under the Trump administration, asylum seekers from several Central American countries have been turned away at ports of entry. In some cases, they are forced to remain in Mexico while they await their cases in U.S. immigration court.

Barragan challenged Nielsen about that practice, and questioned whether she was even aware of its existence.

View the complete March 6 article by Rebekah Entralgo on the ThinkProgress website here.

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