Growing backlog in immigration court leaves many migrants living in limbo
There is growing concern among immigrant rights advocates and immigration attorneys on rather the number of migrants apprehended along our southern border will deepen an already staggering backlog of cases in immigration court.
Questions linger over response to surge of Hatiatians showing up in Del Rio
As the federal government was working to process and remove an estimated 15,000 migrants from under the international bridge in Del Rio, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials held an “on background” conference call with reporters covering the effort.
Options shrink for Haitian migrants straddling Texas border
Gov. Greg Abbott will hold a press conference to discuss the situation in Del Rio on Tuesday. The governor will be joined by Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw, Texas Military Department adjutant Gen. Tracy Norris, and National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd.
Gov. Abbott issues executive order to restrict ground transportation of migrants citing rise of COVID-19 cases
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an executive order Wednesday that will restrict ground transportation of migrants who he claims pose a risk of carrying the coronavirus into Texas communities.
Gov. Abbott orders TDCJ to clear out prisoners at state prison to house migrants with low-level offenses
Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to move prisoners from the Briscoe Unit in Dilley to make room for migrants crossing the border unlawfully and who have committed a state or federal crime.
Number of arrests along southern border steadily rising
Texas’s border with Mexico is again seeing a rise in the number of people caught illegally crossing into the United States. According to data from Customs and Border Protection, the number of apprehensions began rising in April of 2020. “We are starting to see large groups come across at one time,” said Border Patrol agent Jesse Moreno. COVID-19 restrictions currently prevent media from riding with Border Patrol agents. Border Patrol released a statement:CBP has seen a steady increase in border encounters since April 2020, which, aggravated by COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, has caused some facilities to reach maximum safe holding capacity.
Mexican army finds unfinished tunnel under Rio Grande river
MEXICO CITY The Mexican army said Thursday that soldiers patrolling along the Rio Grande river have found an unfinished tunnel that was apparently dug under the river bed in a bid to reach U.S. territory. The army said a small pump was found at the mouth of the structure and was apparently used to clear water from it. The army said the tunnel was found earlier this week near the city of Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. The tunnel was apparently used for illegal activities. The river, known in Mexico as the Rio Bravo, is a frequent crossing point for drugs and migrant smuggling.
US border closures with Canada and Mexico to be extended another month, officials say
Later on Tuesday, the Mexican Foreign Ministry announced that it was extending its border restrictions, also until August 21. "We recognize that the situation continues to be complex in the United States in regards to Covid-19," Trudeau said during a Monday press conference. According to one poll, a large majority of Canadians say the US-Canada border should remain closed for the foreseeable future. "To minimize the risk of importation of Covid-19 cases into Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has personnel at 36 points of entry across Canada. PHAC has deployed officials, including Screening Officers, Clinical Screening Officers, and Quarantine Officers, to select high-volume ports of entry to support the Canada Border Services Agency in carrying out Covid-19 enhanced screening measures.
Mexican border city tightens checks on US visitors coming from Brownsville
CIUDAD VICTORIA – Officials in a Mexican border city are tightening checks on travellers coming from Texas, saying they fear U.S. visitors may be helping feed a spike in COVID-19 cases. Municipal and state officials in Matamoros, together with Mexico's National Guard began setting up checkpoints Saturday at the three border crossings to question U.S. citizens and residents coming from Brownsville, Texas. At least 180 people were turrned back at a single point on Saturday, according to city officials. Commercial traffic, critical to the economy on both sides of the border, has continued on a large scale. Residents and officials on both sides have asserted that travellers from across the border were bringing the infection.
32-year-old US citizen dies in border custody in Texas
HOUSTON – A 32-year-old U.S. citizen has died after being arrested by Border Patrol agents in South Texas, the U.S. government said Wednesday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not identify the man in a statement issued Wednesday, but alleged that he was a suspect in a human smuggling incident. The man was arrested at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday by agents assigned to the Border Patrol station in Brackettville, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the border with Mexico. The agency did not identify the man's illness, symptoms or cause of death, which was first reported by BuzzFeed News. The Border Patrol does not ordinarily detain U.S. citizens, but it routinely arrests Americans accused of trying to smuggle immigrants who have crossed the border illegally.
Jared Kushner’s new assignment: Overseeing the construction of Trump’s border wall
He has blamed former chief of staff John F. Kelly and former homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen for not focusing enough on the wall, senior administration officials said. The wall adds to Kushner’s growing portfolio of responsibilities, which some of his critics have said border on comical. But he remains the most influential adviser in the West Wing and enjoys a level of trust from the president that makes him unique within the administration, according to current and former administration officials. Administration officials acknowledge that building in those areas amounts to the lowest-hanging fruit for the border wall project. Still, Kushner has told others that a wall has to be built because his father-in-law promised it would be.