U.S. Customs and Border Protection has increased the number of mirror patrols along the border amid the country’s ongoing unlawful migration crisis.
El Paso has seen unlawful crossings into the state drop by roughly one-third in the last week, which CBP claimed was largely due to the increased number of mirror patrols taking place, according to CBS News Texas.
Mirror patrols occur when officials on both sides of the border patrol the same area to find individuals attempting to cross into the United States without authorization.
“It’s a pre-coordinated, pre-planned operation. Between the Southside and the Northside. We work towards common goals, and we have a reason for being there and looking for specific things,” explained CBP El Centro Sector Chief Gregory Bovino, per KYMA.
CBP Commissioner Troy Miller told CBS that it is incredibly important for the agency to have “coordinated engagement to include mirrored patrols with local Mexican law enforcement agencies.”
Such patrols follow a CBP report that noted a 36% increase in unlawful migrant apprehensions between July and August. In total, 181,059 people were apprehended, and 232,972 unlawful migrants were encountered along the border, according to the Washington Office on Latin America.
Despite the alleged effectiveness of such patrols over the last week, some have expressed concerns that increased border enforcement is just a temporary fix.
“This kind of solution does not recognize the real problem, which is the reason why migrants are being displaced in Mexico, in Venezuela, Central America. Violence, economic distress. So, this enforcement approach — deportation approach — doesn’t solve anything,” claimed Fernando Garcia, director of the Border Network for Human Rights, per CBS.
Elise Sousa, an asylum-seeker from Venezuela, said unlawful migrants will find new ways to enter the United States “because the corruption we are fleeing doesn’t just exist in one country.”
“There are many who are extorted by the authorities who force you to pay money in order to get through, and people pay however they can,” she said, telling CBS that many people could likely enter if they pay off law enforcement.
Garcia said he hopes a solution that would work for all stakeholders can be found.
“Let’s figure out who is fleeing from violence and give them a solution. Let’s figure out who is looking for a job that we need here in the United States. Let’s find a way to bring those workers legally,” he said, according to CBS.
On September 20, the Department of Homeland Security announced that roughly 500,000 migrants are now eligible to apply for paid work authorization, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.