Maria Lila Meza Castro—the mom who was photographed running away from tear gas with her children at the U.S.-Mexico border in November—has been allowed entry into the U.S. with her children, CNN reports. Meza Castro and her children were initially denied entry Monday afternoon at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry along the Mexico/California border due to capacity issues, according to a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson. But Congressman Jimmy Gomez said the family is now in America and has filed for asylum. He wrote: “After 7hrs, I can now confirm: Maria Meza & her kids—featured in this @Reuters image fleeing tear gas at the border last month—just filed for asylum. They're on American soil. @RepBarragan & I are still here observing conditions on the ground.” Trump defended the use of tear gas on the crowd of migrants in November, including children, saying border agents were forced into action because they were “being rushed by some very tough people.”
