The recent surge of migrants at an El Paso port of entry has forced officials to halt all cargo operations so they can help Border Patrol stop the influx of people crossing the border into Mexico.
The suspension of cargo processing at the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA), one of four major bridges connecting El Paso to Mexico, began on Monday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced.
“The temporary suspension… will allow CBP Office of Field Operations officers to assist U.S. Border Patrol in processing noncitizens who have arrived between ports of entry, including vulnerable populations such as families and unaccompanied children,” Customs and Border Protection said in a new statement.
As The Post previously reported, cartels have been encouraging migrants to head to the border and overwhelm operations there. El Paso has seen surges of up to 1,700 people a day turning themselves over to Border Patrol agents. City figures showed there were 4,600 in CBP custody on Tuesday.
People who wanted to bring their cargo into the U.S. at El Paso were advised to use another bridge to get their goods into the country.
Operations at an El Paso port of entry have been “temporarily” suspended so officers can help the US Border Patrol with the huge influx of migrants.REUTERS
The City of El Paso is opening an emergency shelter for migrants, converting a recreation center into housing for hundreds of migrants.therealfitfamelpaso/Instagram
Passenger vehicles and pedestrians can still cross at BOTA during the loading deferral.
CBP leaders had warned about the temporary suspension before the suspension announcement was made Friday, according to the federal agency.
“CBP will remain in communication with interested parties and provide updates…The agency will work to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.”
Migrants sleep on the street after being released from US Border Patrol custody in downtown El Paso.REUTERS
Cargo processing at the Bridge of the Americas is typically open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday when operational.
The suspension comes as a growing number of border communities continue to sound the alarm about the ongoing border crisis.
Leaders in El Paso warned that they are running out of space and will not have enough space to prevent all migrants released into the United States from sleeping on the streets for much longer.
“Our number one priority is the safety of our community and the safety of our asylum seekers. We don’t want them to sleep on the streets, but at some point we will run out of capacity,” the city’s mayor, Oscar Leeser, said last week.
On Monday, the city announced plans to open an emergency shelter for immigrants to ease some of the tension.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn