An unprecedented wave of 4,000 migrants crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday, forcing the overwhelmed city to declare a state of emergency.
Border Patrol sources said they join approximately 7,500 other migrants who turned themselves in along the Texas border over the past week.
The increase is the largest since 15,000 Haitian migrants camped under the bridge in neighboring Del Rio, Texas, nearly two years ago, officials said, an incident that resulted in a major humanitarian crisis.
The city’s mayor, Rolando Salinas, said the new mob, many of them from Venezuela, has invaded Mission Border Hope, the only migrant shelter in the border city.
“One of the situations is that many of these [migrants]They are single men and they do not want to listen to instructions and they leave the establishment,” said the mayor.
“Not all of these people come in peace.”
Officials in Eagle Pass, Texas, said the border town has been overrun by a new flood of migrants since Sunday, with 2,500 crossing into the United States in two days, and another 4,000 expected to enter by the end of the day on Wednesday.REUTERS
A new flood of migrants has crossed into the United States in recent days through a new gap in the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, forcing the overwhelmed border city to declare a state of emergency to obtain state and federal aid. REUTERS
He also said that the huge influx in the last week (about 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.”
Processing migrants typically takes several days, but could take longer due to the huge influx, border sources said. During that time, all migrants will remain in custody, another challenge for authorities.
They will be screened for criminal records and prior illegal entries into the U.S., and those who fail the test will be turned over to immigration authorities for possible removal, officials said.
Among those now detained in Eagle Pass is Roberto Emilio Vásquez-Santamaria, a 64-year-old Peruvian immigrant charged with murder in the killing of another man in the Texas city, Fox News reported.
Authorities in Eagle Pass, Texas, say they anticipate a rush of more than 6,000 migrants crossing the U.S. border into their city by Wednesday, with more expected. The new influx began on Sunday and has continued throughout the week. Fox News
Vásquez Santamaría crossed illegally into Texas in May, but was released because border officials did not identify a criminal history for him. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ordered him to return to court in 2025, the outlet reported.
After being released into the community, he killed one person, although the local sheriff has not revealed details of the murder.
“It’s obviously a security issue,” said U.S. Rep. Eddie Morales, a Democrat whose district includes Eagle Pass.
The Post reported last month that thousands of migrants crossed into the United States through 114 gates that were inexplicably welded by government officials for monsoon season and animal migration patterns.
“I am aware that there are between 2,000 and 4,000 under the regime [International] Bridge right now and more are coming. 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 train tracks.
“All of this means that there is a concerted effort to try to control this situation,” he said.
The Texas crisis is just the latest in which unauthorized immigrants have made their way into the country.
In West Texas, El Paso opened an emergency shelter after a flood of migrants last week.
In Tucson, Arizona, and San Diego, California, migrants are being released into border communities as federal officials are running out of space in processing centers designed to hold them.
Last month, thousands of people crossed the border through 114 gates in Arizona that were welded by federal officials to accommodate the migratory patterns of an endangered antelope species and potential flooding.
A stream of migrants crossed the U.S. border and entered Arizona last month after government officials acknowledged welding more than 114 floodgates to accommodate the monsoon season and the migration of an endangered antelope species. . REUTERS
Authorities estimate that 4,000 new migrants will have crossed into Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday, after another 2,500 have already crossed the US border since Sunday. The city has now declared a state of emergency amid the crisis.FOX News
Salinas said Wednesday that the new emergency declaration will allow Eagle Pass to apply for federal and state aid to help deal with the sudden influx of undocumented immigrants.
“This is just one measure we need to take to make sure we maintain order here in the city of Eagle Pass,” he said. “We’re going to use that money to reimburse firefighters, reimburse police and any other expenses the city has to face.
“We have reports of other caravans arriving at Eagle Pass, so we want to be prepared for any scenario,” he added.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn