Mexican nationals stranded after Del Rio port of entry was closed due to influx of migrants

DEL RIO, Texas – Dozens of Mexican nationals are stranded in Del Rio after U.S. customs and border protection closed the port of entry due to the influx of migrants crossing the Rio Grande to the United States.

Ana Padron works in Del Rio but lives in Ciudad Acuna. We met her while she was sitting in her van waiting to see if the Del Rio International Bridge was going to reopen.

Another Mexican national who only shared her first name, RosaLuz, also works in Del Rio. She said she had heard rumors about the shutdown, but never received an official notice.

“I have a place to stay, but I don’t know how long this closure is going to last,” she said.

According to CBP, “the temporary closure and relocation are 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 journey from the Del Rio port of entry was rerouted 57 miles east to the Eagle Pass port of entry.

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As of Friday afternoon, more than 13,000 migrants gathered under the international bridge in temperatures reaching 101 degrees with a heat index of 105 degrees.

Federal authorities did not allow the KSAT team to go through the fence to see the makeshift migrant camp.

“We are worried about the safety of our community”

Andrea Davis has lived in Del Rio for over 40 years. She said the current influx of migrants is something she has never seen before.

“I never saw anyone cross the river, ever. I have never seen that. Since I’ve lived here, all my life. Never seen that. And the other day, it was extreme. About 500. All of them got together to try and get in there, ”Davis said.

More than 200,000 people crossed the southwest border in August, according to the latest figures released by CBP. This total is four times that of August 2020. The total for this fiscal year to date is over 1.5 million unauthorized crossings. The majority of people crossing are single adults followed by family units.

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Davis does business in Mexico, so she uses the Del Rio International Bridge almost daily. She got stuck in Acuna after the bridge closed.

Davis described the surge as a “humanitarian crisis”. She said she felt sympathy for people trying to claim asylum, but also worried about her city.

“We are concerned for the safety of our community, houses are broken into, we have a ranch, and the ranch has been burgled on several occasions,” she said.

The mayor of Del Rio said most of the migrants currently crossing the border are Haitians.

Nationals of Ecuador, Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico also enter the United States

The Associated Press reported on Friday that the Biden administration will be deporting Haitians to their country.

CBP did not provide a timeline for the reopening of the Del Rio International Bridge. A Del Rio police officer told KSAT it could take days.

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