Regardless of the recent Biden Admin. policy to minimize the number of Venezuelan migrant crossings all along the southwest border, overpopulation in shelters and federal detention facilities is forcing new migrants onto the streets of El Paso. Those who can afford to travel freely are directed to a downtown commercial bus terminal. Meanwhile, until federal subsidies are received, local officials have suspended dedicated buses to New York City and Chicago.
Despite a decrease in Venezuelan migrant crossings, individuals from Nicaragua, Cuba, and a variety of other nations have pushed El Paso to the frontline of border regions for apprehensions.
According to a CBP source, El Paso surpassed the Rio Grande Valley and Del Rio Sectors by becoming the busiest of the nine southwestern districts in Oct. Approximately 53,000 people were caught in El Paso throughout the month, up from 14,000 in October 2021.
According to El Paso Matters, the Border Patrol released 600 migrants onto the streets of El Paso from Friday through Monday. According to the article, private shelters inside the city were not able to absorb the discharges.
The Border Patrol acknowledged the releases in a statement: “The decision to provisionally release individuals was made after exhausting all possible available alternatives for the holding of migrants apprehended in our sector.” DHS agencies, especially the Border Patrol, have used the phrase “decompression” to characterize migrant discharges into the U.S. in place of detention or removal.
According to a CBS News affiliate, some migrant releases will be routed through a private bussing service. Tornado Bus will accommodate migrants who have the money to pay for their own transportation from the Border Patrol.
The City of El Paso ceased operations at a City-funded welcome center that made available bus services to selected sanctuary communities in late October. According to an official dashboard, the welcome center assisted more than 19,000 migrants throughout its 44-day existence since September. The tool is intended to track migrant services operations and expenses incurred by the City.
According to the dashboard, approximately 14,000 migrants were given free transportation to the United States interior.
