As thousands of immigrants arrive daily in the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas, its mayor has taken steps to ensure discipline and order.
“There needs to be consequences for crossing illegally,” Mayor Rolando Salinas told The Post, adding the city is bracing for “anywhere between 4,000 to 9,000 immigrants” in the coming days.
The small town has been besieged by a massive influx of some 11,500 migrants in the past 10 days, a record surge.
By comparison, the entire Southern Border set a record when 10,000 people tried to cross from Mexico in one day in May.
Salinas signed a new law Wednesday night in anticipation of the influx, making it illegal to trespass on local parks and golf courses that immigrants often use to enter the city.
It would also allow state troopers to arrest immigrants trespassing on city property.
“I’ve never seen people cross like this,” said the mayor, a lifelong resident of Eagle Pass.
“If they are going to come, they must enter through the entrance. I know people are desperate, but this is a country of laws.
“Our police are overwhelmed. Our firefighters responded to the call to care for immigrants. We don’t have the resources to deal with this.
“We’ve seen robberies, they’ve broken into houses.”
Thousands of immigrants arrive every day in the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas.AP
At the Mission Border Hope Shelter in the city, Valeria Wheeler said they have seen an increase in violence since large numbers began arriving.
He told The Post: “Mostly, we see single men. From Sunday to Wednesday, we had six incidents of violence at the shelter – pushing, shouting, hitting our staff. These people took the train to get here.
“They’re in survival mode. They’re here now, and they haven’t figured it out yet. They’re very defensive. We’ve never had violence before.”
He added that in the previous six years he had worked with the shelter, they had never experienced a single incident of violence.
Salinas also blamed the federal government for their lack of assistance. Although 800 troops were pledged on Thursday, they will help process migrants rather than patrol the border.
The small city has been besieged by a massive influx of about 11,500 migrants in the past 10 days, a record surge.AP
“It’s disappointing to see so many people coming in. I don’t see a plan from the Administration to try to stem the flow of people coming in illegally.”
“The city of Eagle Pass, we have a population of 28,000 people. We have 58 uniformed police officers. If it wasn’t for the Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety, it would have been a lot more chaotic,” Salinas added.
The detention center at Eagle Pass can only hold 1,000 people but a temporary shelter under one of the international bridges has also been set up.
However, by Thursday The Post saw Immigration and Customs Enforcement resort to releasing immigrants with GPS ankle monitors, an “alternative to detention” used only when the city’s federal immigration detention facility is full.
The practice is used in other districts and states as well because border spots are strained under the flood of migrants crossing the country.
“I’ve never seen people cross like this,” said the mayor, who is also a lifelong resident of Eagle Pass.AP
Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland said he knows ankle monitors are issued at busy border crossings, saying: “Yes, 100%. That’s what we’re starting to see in Arizona, in El Paso, everywhere — because there’s no more bed space. “
On Thursday evening, immigrants lined up to sign waivers so they could get a spot on a bus chartered by Texas Governor Greg Abbott – set to depart Eagle Pass for New York City tomorrow.
The influx of migrants has also led to the closure of one of the city’s two international bridges and a railway bridge, causing major issues for Eagle Pass.
“With the closure of the bridge, the city is losing money. Our budget, 60% depends on the intersection of people who pay their tolls. If you close the bridge, you hit us in the pocket. If we don’t generate that, we can’t provide services for our constituents. It affects the economy and it affects security,” said Salinas.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
