EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Close to 750 migrants were released into the streets of El Paso just a few days into November.
U.S. Customs and Border Protections says the majority of the migrants being released are single adults from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador and Nicaragua.
“The decision to provisionally release migrants was determined after exhausting all other decompression options for the custody of migrants found in the sector,” said a portion of a statement regarding the street releases from CBP.
CBP says since the start of November, the daily average encounters in El Paso sector has reached 1,650.
The demographics are different from what El Paso saw back in September when many of the migrants were from Venezuela. The change comes after The Department of Homeland Security began expelling Venezuelans who cross illegally back to Mexico.
The Rescue Mission of El Paso says all the beds at the shelter are full.
“If capacity is the number of beds you have, we are way past capacity we’ve gone to throwing down blankets on the floor utilizing cots in the chapel just whatever we can do,” said Blake Barrow the CEO of the Rescue Mission of El Paso.
Adding that he has also seen a difference in countries regarding where the migrants are initially from.
“In September everybody was from Venezuela and every now and then someone from Cuba and now the mass majority are from Nicaragua and Honduras,” said Blake Barrow the CEO of the Rescue Mission of El Paso.
On Wednesday, migrants could be seen at the Tornado Bus Station in Downtown El Paso waiting for buses.
“Customs and Border Protection has coordinated with local food banks and transportation services in an effort to provide resources to those migrants who have been released to the community.“
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
A man from Nicaragua waiting at the bus station says he has only been in the United States for 24 hours and that border patrol and personnel from a shelter got in contact with his sponsor to coordinate getting him a bus ticket.
“He’s helping us with the final stages just as I told you the little money we had runs out on the journey over here,” said the man from Nicaragua.
The reason for his coming to the U.S. similar to the reasons given by the Venezuelans who crossed earlier in the year.
“For the lack of jobs there are over there and because of the basic monetary pay because the basic living expenses surpasses what one earns daily,” said the man from Nicaragua.
The City of El Paso says they are not resuming the busing of migrants out of El Paso but are assisting non-governmental organizations with staff.
As for the County of El Paso, it’s migrant processing facility is still open in East El Paso. The County says they are now assisting 300 migrants a day.
“Our first week of operation, October 10 we saw only Venezuelans. Since the Title 42 order for Venezuelans took place, we have been assisting Nicaraguans, Cubans, Dominicans, Peruvians, Ecuadorians and Columbians,” Laura Gallegos, a spokesperson for the County said in an email.