Immigrants: CBP officers atop bridge told them to seek asylum later

After traveling thousands of miles to claim asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, several undocumented immigrants from Central America said they were told to turn around.

Freelance reporter Debbie Nathan spoke with the group of immigrants who never got the chance to make their claim at one El Paso port of entry.

Instead, Nathan said, they were told detention facilities are at capacity, and to come back at a later time.

In a statement to ABC-7, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said, “Once space is available and/or other factors allow then CBP officers let more people into our facilities for processing.”

Video shared by Nathan on social media shows border officers letting people pass and stopping others at the top of the bridge, and in at least one case, telling people to go back to Mexico.

Immigration attorney Carlos Spector says that’s not legal.

“Once they’re on U.S. territory they have a right to seek asylum,” Spector said. “What’s illegal is discouraging them from seeking asylum, or from keeping them out of the country by crossing the line between Mexico and the US.”

The CBP statement said, “No one is being denied the opportunity to make a claim of credible fear or seek asylum.”

A man from Guatemela waited on the Juarez side of the bridge Monday. He said he left his country because he feared being killed, adding that he just wants to work to support his family.