El Paso Mayor Buses Migrants to NYC to Relieve Overwhelmed Detention Facilities
The surge of migrants moving west to the El Paso Border Patrol Sector led to the apprehension of approximately 30,000 in August, a source within U.S. Customs and Border Protection says. The trend overwhelmed the sector’s detention capacity, forcing agents to carry out street releases.
Agents in the El Paso Sector jumped into the number two spot with the apprehension of just under 30,000 migrants, Breitbart Texas reported. This is up from approximately 25,000 apprehended in July. With one month to go in the fiscal year, agents in the El Paso Sector apprehended nearly 260,000 migrants.
The westward movement of the migrant surge caused detention centers in the El Paso Sector to exceed capacity — leading to the rapid release of migrants at bus stations, NBC News reported.
El Paso Sector spokesperson Valeria Morales told NBC, “Generally, after processing, migrants who are not detained for the duration of their removal proceeding are provisionally released in coordination with [non-governmental organizations].”
“If NGOs are over capacity, U.S. Border Patrol coordinates with local government and cities to identify locations where migrants can conveniently access transportation services or accommodations,” she added.
NBC reports:
Hundreds of migrants, mainly Venezuelans, who have not yet been processed by Border Patrol have amassed in an El Paso neighborhood called Chihuahita as they await processing. Border agents do biometric screenings on migrants before their “street releases” but hold those who may pose a threat to public safety.
Venezuelans have migrated to the U.S. in large numbers in recent years because of poverty, violence and shortages of medicine and food in their homeland.
The release of migrants into the city of El Paso led Mayor Oscar Leeser (D) and the city council to join with Governor Greg Abbott in chartering buses to transport migrants to New York, El Paso Matters reported. Border Patrol officials released nearly 1,000 migrants onto the city’s streets last week.
The City has chartered 25 buses since August 23 and transported 1,135 to New York City. Mayor Eric Adams called Texas’ transportation of migrants to his city on free, air-conditioned buses “horrific,” Breitbart’s Hannah Bleau reported. It remains to be seen if he will have similar comments directed to the fellow Democrat mayor of El Paso.
