As thousands of migrants arrive each day in the border city of Eagle Pass, Texas, its mayor has taken steps to ensure discipline and order.
“There have to be consequences for crossing illegally,” Mayor Rolando Salinas told The Post, adding that the city is preparing to receive “between 4,000 and 9,000 immigrants” in the coming days.
The small town has been besieged by a huge influx of around 11,500 migrants in the past 10 days, a record increase.
For comparison, the entire southern border set a record when 10,000 people attempted to cross from Mexico in a single day in May.
Salinas signed a new law Wednesday night in anticipation of the influx, making it illegal to trespass at a local park and golf course that immigrants often use to enter the city.
It will also allow state police to arrest immigrants trespassing on city property.
“I’ve never seen people cross like that,” said the mayor, who is also a lifelong Eagle Pass resident.
“If they are going to come, they must enter through the port of entry. I know people are desperate, but this is a nation of laws.
“Our police officers are overwhelmed. Our firefighters are responding to calls for attention to migrants. We don’t have the resources to handle this.
“We have seen robberies, houses have been broken into.”
Thousands of migrants arrive every day in the border city of Eagle Pass, Texas.AP
At the city’s Mission Border Hope shelter, Valeria Wheeler said they have seen an increase in violence since large numbers of people began arriving.
She told The Post: “Mostly we see single men. From Sunday to Wednesday we had six incidents of violence at the shelter: pushing, yelling and hitting our staff. These people took a train to get here.
“They are deeply in survival mode. They are here now and they are not out of it yet. They are very defensive. “We had never had violence before.”
He added that in the previous six years he worked with the shelter, they never had a single incident of violence.
Salinas also blamed the federal government for its lack of aid. Although 800 troops were promised Thursday, they will primarily help process migrants rather than secure the border.
The small town has been besieged by a huge influx of around 11,500 migrants in the past 10 days, a record increase.
“It’s just disappointing to see so many people coming in. I haven’t seen a plan from the Administration to try to stop the flow of people coming in illegally.”
“The city of Eagle Pass has a population of 28,000 people. We have 58 uniformed police officers. “If it weren’t for the Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety, it would be even more chaotic,” Salinas added.
The Eagle Pass detention center only has capacity for 1,000 people, but a temporary shelter has also been created under one of the international bridges.
However, on Thursday, The Post witnessed Immigration and Customs Enforcement resort to releasing immigrants with GPS ankle monitors, an “alternative to detention” that is only used when federal detention facilities of immigrants the city is full.
The practice is also being implemented in other counties and states as border points become strained by the influx of migrants crossing into the country.
“I’ve never seen people cross like that,” said the mayor, who is also a lifelong Eagle Pass resident.AP
Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland said he knows ankle monitors are being placed at busy border crossings and said, “Yes, 100%. “That’s what we’re starting to see in Arizona, in El Paso and everywhere: it’s because there’s no more room for beds.”
On Thursday afternoon, immigrants lined up to sign waivers so they could get a spot on a bus chartered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that will leave Eagle Pass tomorrow for New York City.
The influx of migrants has also caused the closure of one of the city’s two international bridges and a railroad bridge, posing a big problem for Eagle Pass.
“With the closure of the bridge, the city is losing money. Our budget, 60% depends on the crossing of people who pay their tolls. If you close the bridge, you are hitting us in the pocket. If we don’t generate that, we won’t be able to provide services to our constituents. It affects the economy and it affects security,” Salinas said.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn