Laredo, September 13 (RHC)-- At the U.S. southern border, the first immigration court hearings of Trump’s so-called Remain in Mexico program began Wednesday in large tents in Laredo and Brownsville, Texas. 

The program has forced more than 42,000 people who sought asylum at the border to wait in Mexico until their court dates.  Judges in the tent courts conducted hearings via video teleconference, and lawyers reported multiple technical glitches. 

Immigration courts are usually open to the public, but officials denied access to reporters and residents who were there to observe. 

Meanwhile, many asylum seekers waiting in Mexico say they face kidnapping and extortion as the government there has failed to provide promised humanitarian aid.