Hundreds of Illegal Immigrants Attempt to Storm Border at Texan Port of Entry

Border patrol agents were forced by thousands of illegal immigrants to cross the border to the United States to put up temporary barriers at a port-of-entry point along the southern border.

The stampede incident started at the Paso Del Norte International bridge entry point in El Paso, Texas, around 1.30 p.m. local time.

Many tried to cross the border to Juarez, Mexico by force.

Video footage captured by Fox News showed the illegal immigrants rushing the border checkpoint, pushing down permanent barriers and overwhelming armed border officials who struggled to hold back the crowd as they attempted to cross the bridge to the United States.

Others tried to enter the United States through other points.

Ricardo Samaniego, El Paso County Judge Telled ABC network affiliate KVIA that in total, the crowd was sized around 2,000 illegal immigrants. The judge said the majority of the immigrants were Venezuelan males.

After the Mexican National Guard was called in to disperse the crowd, some of whom were attempting to pull down the port barriers and concertina wire, around 100 asylum seekers remained, KVIA reported.

Human Wave Posed ‘Potential Threat’

Separate Video footage captured and shared online appeared to show large numbers of the group returning to the Juarez checkpoint after the failed attempted crossing.

Fox News reported on the barbed wire fencing used by the border guards to stop immigrants from crossing the U.S. They were later returned back to Mexico.

According to El Paso Migrant Situational Awareness dashboard, CBP handled 1,210 illegal immigration encounters on Sunday and took 2,023 persons into custody

In a Statement shortly after the incident, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that officers, including members of the CBP Mobile Field Force, had implemented “port hardening measures” To stop illegal migrants crossing the border, physical barriers may be deployed.

“A large group of individuals formed on the Mexican side of the border and approached the international boundary posing a potential threat to make a mass entry,” According to the statement.

CBP said that the incident had temporarily prevented northbound traffic at the Paso Del Norte Bridge.

Mario D’Agostino is El Paso’s Deputy Mayor Telled CNN that crowds at the bridge were subsiding as of Sunday evening.

“At this time EOC (Emergency Operations Center) has shut down. Crowds [have] subsided and it’s just being monitored,” He stated.

Traffic has been restored since Sunday evening.

Parallel Charges at Border

Additionally, similar breaches took place at two other crossings on Sunday: the Stanton crossing, and the Bridge of the Americas crossing, CBP said.

The attempted breach Stanton crossing took place from 2 p.m. until 2.45 p.m. and the one at Americas crossing happened from 2.45 p.m. until 3.30 p.m., CBP said.

CBP reports that both incidents involved the use of barricades to prevent illegal entry.

“CBP is working to maintain the legal and orderly flow of entry to the U.S. while protecting the safety and security of legitimate trade and travel, CBP facilities, and the CBP workforce,” CNN was informed by the agency.

Biden Continues to Work for a Secure Border

Sunday’s incident comes after President Joe Biden in January announced that immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela will be returned to Mexico under Title 42 if they illegally enter the country.

However, the administration will also provide legal immigration opportunities to eligible asylum seekers, allowing them to live and work in the United States, provided they find a sponsor inside the United States and pass a background check.

During his State of the Union Address Biden had earlier in the month praised the “record number of personnel working to secure the border.”

The Epoch Times has contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection for comment.