There is so much I want to say about this Washington Times story, but my posting queue is so long and I am so far behind.
Remember this basic concept as you read this story. LEGITIMATE asylum seekers are to ask for protection in the first safe country in which they arrive—they are nothing more than illegal alien criminals when they use smugglers to get them through 7 safe countries before they arrive at the US border and ask for asylum (refugee) status.
The Palestinian men highlighted in this story clearly had money and were not going to be patient to wait in line to be processed as legitimate refugees.
They were simply shopping for the best deal (and had money to help them) as they left Gaza and passed through Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico to arrive on the Arizona border.
Here is just a bit of the story, you need to read it all (if you can stand the Washington Times pop-ups and other ads):
FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) – Mounis Hammouda and Hisham Shaban were stranded in Honduras, penniless after being ripped off by a smuggler who was supposed to get them to Mexico so that they could arrive at their final destination, the United States.
The Palestinian men had traveled across the world to escape bloodshed and torture in their homeland, and desperately phoned a friend in Canada to wire them money so they could finish their trek.
[….]
Some migrants cross into the U.S. illegally; others, like Hammouda and Shaban, turn themselves claiming asylum. They were among nearly 42,000 people to seek asylum in 2014 in the U.S., a more than 20 percent increase from 2010.
Immigrants claim asylum because they believe they will face persecution or torture in their homeland.
They can stay in the U.S. if an asylum officer and immigration judge determine that such a fear exists. Many are detained during this process, but some are granted bail while their request moves through the immigration court system, which can take years.
As you watch what is happening in Europe with hundreds of thousands of migrants arriving and asking for asylum, keep in mind this is happening at our borders too (just on a smaller scale so far)! Once granted asylum, these illegal aliens are then eligible just like refugees for all of our welfare benefits, for permission to work and to ultimately become a US citizen.
Check out this other story this morning (hat tip: Joanne): Smugglers made $5 billion in 2015 moving supposed ‘refugees’ around the world.