EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – On Monday afternoon migrants could be seen laying on a mattress and cardboard boxes in Downtown El Paso off Paisano, where migrants say agents are dropping them off.
In a tweet, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Peter Jaquez’s said the daily average of encounters over the last three days have been 2,460.
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego telling KTSM 9 News he was aware of caravans heading to El Paso.
“We already had intel that they were coming in this direction there were several caravans that were coming but we all weekend spent time with congresswoman Escobar to look at the FEMA funding and see how we could expedite that,” said Samaniego.
Adding that the County of El Paso signed an agreement with the Rescue Mission for more beds for migrants as shelters are at capacity.
In addition, Samaniego says that the county is looking to see if they can give unused FEMA funds to the catholic diocese that he says is ready to provide almost a thousand beds but needs funding.
“It’s not something that we would like to do but I think it’s something that we have to do as you know the numbers are climbing we already have 5,000 over 5,050 in the detention center, and we have people lining up,” said Samaniego.
As for the County of El Paso’s Migrant Support Services Center, the county is looking for a larger location. Currently the county is processing 500 migrants daily on average but due to the expected lifting of Title 42 the county is preparing to need more space.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection sending a statement regarding the surge at the border.
“Customs and Border Protection’s El Paso Sector on the Texas border with Mexico has seen an increase in encounters. In order to process individuals as safely and expeditiously as possible, Border Patrol agents from Big Bend and CBP Officers from El Paso Field Office are assisting with processing.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Congressman Tony Gonzalez who represents portions of the border speaking about the surge in encounters.
“Here we are a week away from Title 42 ending and the crisis is now on steroids and everything it touches gets consumed right now there are no border patrol agents out in the field everybody is in processing centers,” said Congressman Tony Gonzales.
All of this happening as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to be in El Paso on Tuesday
As we have reported Representative Gonzales was one of the House Republicans calling for Secretary Mayorkas to step down.
“It’s not fair to the people of El Paso that the federal government has caused this problem I’ve seen the exact same thing happen in my district in Del Rio and Eagle Pass to name a few so this is only the beginning, just when we think it can’t get any worse, it does,” said Gonzales.
