Brazilian border state asks supreme court to halt entry of Venezuelans

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The government of the northern Brazilian state of Roraima on Monday asked the country's supreme court to halt the entry of Venezuelan immigrants, as the border state struggles to cope with a flow that has already sparked violent confrontations.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have poured over the border into Roraima state over the last few years, fleeing economic and political turmoil in their country. The influx has overwhelmed the state's social services and brought a rise in crime, prostitution and disease, and has sparked incidents of xenophobia, Brazilian government officials say.

(Reporting by Mateus Maia; editing by Jonathan Oatis)