El Paso, Texas Mayor warns of crisis as migration surges.
The Breaking Point: El Paso Overwhelmed by Surge in Illegal Immigration
The city of El Paso, Texas, is facing an unprecedented crisis as the number of illegal immigrants crossing the U.S. border from Mexico skyrockets. With over 2,000 people per day seeking asylum, the city is reaching its breaking point, according to Mayor Oscar Leeser.
“El Paso only has so many resources, and we have come to a breaking point right now,” Mayor Leeser expressed at a news conference.
This surge in illegal immigration includes a significant influx of Venezuelan asylum seekers, who have embarked on dangerous journeys via buses and cargo trains to reach Mexican border towns near San Diego, California, as well as the Texas cities of El Paso and Eagle Pass.
In response to the overwhelming situation, El Paso plans to open a new shelter and has chartered five buses to transport the illegal immigrants to cities like New York, Chicago, and Denver.
While Republican governors in Texas and Florida have faced criticism for sending illegal immigrants to liberal cities, Mayor Leeser, a Democrat, clarified that all individuals on the El Paso buses are voluntarily choosing their destinations.
Although President Joe Biden has been supportive, Mayor Leeser emphasized that the U.S. immigration system as a whole is broken.
Many Venezuelan immigrants lack transportation to their desired locations, and El Paso’s current shelter, which can only accommodate 400 people, must also assist the homeless.
In just the past few days, the number of daily crossings into El Paso has surged from 350-400 to over 2,000.
Working alongside the U.S. Border Patrol, the city has provided shelter for approximately 6,500 people in the last 10 days, as Mayor Leeser revealed.
Of those crossing into El Paso, around two-thirds are single men, while 32% are families and only 2% are unaccompanied children.
“It’s crucial to acknowledge that we have a broken immigration system,” Mayor Leeser emphasized. “It’s the same recurring issue.”
By Sharon Bernstein
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