THE OTHER BORDER CAMPS.

• Author: Craver, Henry
• Position: ON THE LINE

In late August, makeshift camps began popping up along Mexico's side of the U.S.-Mexico border, from Matamoros all the way to Tijuana. The inhabitants, who now number in the thousands, are mostly Mexican people fleeing violence and oppression who plan on requesting asylum. But they have to wait, as Customs and Border Protection officials--and sometimes U.S. soldiers--stand in front of ports of entry preventing asylum seekers from stepping onto U.S. soil, where they're entitled to demand credible fear interviews.

These officials, who claim their facilities are at capacity, typically only let a very limited number of Mexican asylum seekers pass each day. Worried that staying in shelters will lose them their place...