A group of 496 unlawful migrants, most men, crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States recently near Eagle Pass.
They met at a local rally point about a mile north of the river and then turned themselves into U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents as the midday heat climbed to 106°F.
Members of the group originated from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and other countries, according to a CBP source. The agents acted quickly to provide water and arrange transportation to a processing center, reported Breitbart.
Over Memorial Day weekend, more than 4,000 unlawful migrants attempted to enter the United States from Mexico through the Rio Grande Valley, The Dallas Express reported.
On July 5, multiple Texas counties declared the unlawful migrant crisis at the southern border an “invasion,” as reported in The Dallas Express. The move could lead to similar declarations across the state.
Former U.S. Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott condemned the Biden administration for failing to address what he called a “growing threat” to the country’s safety.
The increased traffic has also put a strain on local governments. Municipal firefighters were dispatched to the Rio Grande’s banks on Tuesday to put out a brush fire that unlawful migrants allegedly started at a crossing point.
Additionally, the transportation of unlawful migrants from detention centers to soft-sided processing centers puts an added burden on agency resources. Because they handle asylum claims and humanitarian care, most CBP agents are not on field patrols.
According to a CBP source, only 30% of unlawful migrants apprehended in Eagle Pass are immediately returned to Mexico under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Title 42 emergency COVID-19 authorization. That same source states that the vast majority of those who are not immediately deported under the authorization will be allowed to return to the United States, according to Breitbart.