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Customs and border protection said on Friday it had closed the Del Rio port of entry in response to the huge influx of migrants that overwhelmed authorities in the region. Fox News has learned that border checkpoints in the area have also been closed.
While the port of entry handles legal travel and trade, border checkpoints are in place on northbound routes for security reasons and to prevent illegal immigrants, gang members and illegal immigrants. illicit cargoes like narcotics and weapons to penetrate deeper into the United States.
The agency said in a statement that the Del Rio port of entry will be temporarily closed and traffic will be redirected to Eagle Pass 57 miles away “to more efficiently manage resources and ensure an uninterrupted flow of commerce and trip”.
IMAGES OF A RISE IN HATIAN MIGRANTS IN DEL RIO SHOW CHAOS BELOW THE BRIDGE AS NUMBERS GROW TO 11,000
“This temporary closure and change is necessary for CBP to meet the urgent safety and security needs presented by an influx of migrants to Del Rio and take effect immediately,” the statement said. “This will advance and protect national interests and help ensure the safety of the traveling public, commercial traffic, and CBP employees and facilities.”
It comes as more than 11,000 migrants are held in squalid conditions under the international bridge after a wave that saw thousands of migrants, mostly Haitians, flock to the region within days, sources on the ground telling Fox News that the situation is “out of control.”
Wednesday, the Numbers under bridge were over 4,000. By Thursday morning that number had climbed to around 8,200 and by Friday it was over 11,000, with hundreds more constantly and reports of tens of thousands on the way.
Brandon Judd, head of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing border patrol officers, told Fox News that border checkpoints in Del Rio have also been closed.
“These checkpoints are there to ban people who try to escape arrest,” he said, noting that Del Rio is ruling the country in “runaways” – illegal immigrants who have escaped arrest. capture by law enforcement at the border itself.
Judd told Fox that CBP learned months ago that the Del Rio Bridge was a weak spot.
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“They were warned that this bridge where these people were crossing, at this exact spot, there was a slight increase in traffic and the traffic continued to increase, and they were warned that they had to prepare, they had to put in place operations to deal with a large influx of people, and they have not done so, ”he said.
“Now we don’t have this secondary protection, we don’t have this strategy and this depth, and the agency made this decision because it didn’t prepare for what was to come,” a- he declared.
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A source told Fox on Thursday that the border patrol was overwhelmed and the situation was “out of control.” control of the situation.
Texas lawmakers expressed their horror at the sordid scenes Thursday, with Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, calling it a “man-made disaster.” Meanwhile, Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy has called on President Biden to deploy the National Guard.
Haiti has recently been hit by political turmoil and natural disasters, but critics have also blamed the policies of the Biden administration specifically for the new crisis – not only noting the removal of border protections like migrant protection protocols and the return of “taken and release”, but also the decision to grant temporary protection status (TPS) to Haitians already in the country and also the reported cancellation of a number of deportation flights. DHS told Fox News on Thursday that the flights were continuing and one left on Wednesday, although the agency was unable to provide additional details for safety and operational purposes.
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Judd, speaking to Fox News, said border patrol officers on the ground were exhausted, overworked and frustrated.
“They work six days a week, they work 10 or more hours a day, they are completely overwhelmed, they are tired, they are frustrated that the federal government has not done its job, they are frustrated that it seems like the federal government is actually inviting these people to cross our borders illegally, ”he said.
“They know that as long as we continue to free people, as long as this magnet is there, that when people are released after breaking our laws, it is a reward and it is an invitation,” he said. declared.
Fox News’s Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
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