An unprecedented surge of 4,000 migrants crossed the US border with Mexico into Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday — forcing the stricken city to declare a state of emergency.
Mayor Rolando Salinas said 2,500 separate mobsters crossed the border into the city illegally Monday, in addition to about 7,200 other illegal crossings arrested in the previous week.
The surge was the largest since 15,000 Haitian migrants camped under a bridge in neighboring Del Rio, Texas, nearly two years ago to the day, officials said – an incident that resulted in a major humanitarian crisis.
Salinas said the new group, mostly from Venezuela, has outgrown Mission Border Hope, the only migrant shelter in the border town.
“One of the situations is that a lot of these things [migrants]they are single men and they do not want to listen to orders and they will leave the facility,” the mayor said.
“Not all of these people come in peace.”
Officials in Eagle Pass, Texas, said the border town had been overwhelmed by a new flood of migrants since Sunday, with 2,500 crossing into the US in two days — and another 4,000 expected by the end of Wednesday.REUTERS
A flood of new immigrants has crossed into the US in recent days through a new gap in the border at Eagle Pass, Texas, forcing the overwhelmed border town to declare a state of emergency for state and federal aid. Reuters
He also said the massive influx over the past week – nearly 50% of the city’s 29,000 residents – has “taken a toll on our local resources, especially our local police force and our fire department.”
Speaking to The Post Salinas also warned that he had been told another 4,000 to 8,000 people in separate groups were also heading to the city.
Eagle Pass has a US Customs and Border Protection processing facility opening in 2022 with capacity for 1,000 people. Many of those currently in custody are being held at an overflow facility at one of the city’s two international bridges.
Salinas warned: “Within a day or two we should be able to clear people under the bridge. But if we get another wave tomorrow, it will be Del Rio again.”
The crisis has also forced CBP to close one of the international bridges so they can reassign agents working there to help process immigrants, according to Salinas, who added the move would cost the local economy $15,000 a day in lost revenue.
Processing immigrants usually takes a few days, but could take longer because of the large influx, border sources said, adding that some people are being sent to border facilities in Laredo and El Paso for processing, but that creates a ripple effect as they also deal with increase in the number of migrants.
All immigrants are screened for any criminal history or previous illegal entry into the US, with those who do not pass being flagged for possible removal from entry to the US, authorities said.
Among those currently in custody in Eagle Pass is Roberto Emilio Vasquez-Santamaria, a 64-year-old Peruvian immigrant charged with murder in the slaying of another man in the Texas town, Fox News reported.
Officials in Eagle Pass, Texas, said they expected more than 6,000 migrants to cross the US border into their town by Wednesday, with more expected. New admissions begin on Sunday and continue throughout the week. FOX News
Vasquez-Santamaria illegally crossed into Texas in May but was released because border officials did not identify a criminal record for him. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ordered him to return to court in 2025, the outlet reported.
After he was released into society he killed someone, although the details of the killing have not been released by the local sheriff.
“It’s clearly a safety issue,” said US Representative Eddie Morales, a Democrat whose district includes Eagle Pass.
The Post reported last month that thousands of migrants are crossing into the US through 114 floodgates inexplicably welded by government officials for the monsoon season and for animal migration patterns.
“I realize there are 2,000-4,000 under the Bridge and more to come. We have also been in contact with Union Pacific [railroad, which runs across the bridge] to ensure that they provide adequate security so that they do not cross the railway tracks.
“All this is to say that there is a concerted effort to try to deal with this situation,” he said.
The Texas crisis is the latest in which migrants have tested the limits of border patrol capabilities, encouraged by drug cartels, who take advantage of the confusion.
In West Texas, El Paso opened an emergency shelter after an influx of migrants there last week.
In Tucson, Arizona, and San Diego, California, immigrants are being released into border communities as federal officials run out of space in processing centers designed to hold them.
Last month thousands crossed the border through 114 sluice gates in Arizona that were welded open by federal officials to accommodate the migratory patterns of endangered antelope species and the potential for floodwaters.
A stream of migrants crossed the US border into Arizona last month after government officials admitted to welding more than 114 sluice gates to accommodate monsoons and the migration of endangered antelope species. Reuters
Officials estimate that 4,000 new immigrants will cross into Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday after another 2,500 have crossed the US border since Sunday. The city has now declared a state of emergency amid the crisis.FOX News
Salinas also said at a news conference Wednesday that the new emergency declaration will allow Eagle Pass to apply for federal and state aid to help deal with the sudden influx.
“This is just a step we need to take to make sure we maintain order here in the city of Eagle Pass,” he said. “We will use that money to pay back the fire, pay back the police and any other expenses the city has to make.
“We have reports that there are other caravans coming to Eagle Pass, so we want to be prepared for any scenario,” he added.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
