Border officials came across over 14,000 unauthorized migrants at the southern border from Saturday to Friday, as per sources from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The Tucson, Arizona sector took the lead in the encounters, reporting more than 2,000 apprehensions of illegal immigrants, according to Fox News' Bill Melugin.
Border Tensions Escalate
(Photo : JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) US President Joe Biden walks with Jason Owens (3rd L), Chief of US Border Patrol, and US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (2nd L) as he visits the US-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, on February 29, 2024.
Shelby Park, situated in the border town of Eagle Pass, has emerged as a central location in the ongoing border situation and political disputes between Republicans and the Biden administration. With migrants crossing the border from Mexico into the US, Governor Greg Abbott has sent thousands of state police officers and national guard troops to Eagle Pass to prevent illegal border crossings.
Lt. Christopher Olivarez from the Texas Department of Public Safety provided insight into the state's stance on Border Patrol processing migrants in the park. The concern is that it might attract more migrants to cross the river, as they would know where to find support.
Shelby Park is among a number of places along the Texas border where coils of sharp wire have been added since the initiation of Operation Lone Star in March of 2021. Since that time, numerous migrants have been captured and held on demands of violating. State troopers have taken action against human smuggling operations.
The state has allocated over $150 million to transport migrants by bus to cities such as New York and Chicago, transforming the border issue into a political and financial challenge for Democratic mayors.
The leader of The Council condemned Biden on Monday for what he described as obvious electioneering, alleging that he only chose to go to the southern border with Mexico because he is behind in the polls. This week saw Biden's second visit to the border during his presidency. In January of last year, he journeyed to El Paso following the cleanup of the migrant camps by local officials, according to CBS News.
While in Brownsville, Texas, Biden discussed the bipartisan immigration bill that did not pass in the Senate, placing the responsibility on former president Trump. Republicans have voiced reservations with the bill, arguing that it does not go far enough.
In Brownsville, border crossings have significantly decreased in recent months, following the installation of miles of wire fencing as part of Operation Lone Star, signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in December. Information from internal CBP data for all border patrol stations in February, as acquired by Fox News, reveals that the Brownsville area recorded approximately 462 apprehensions, averaging around 17 per day.
Brownsville, Texas is ranked as the 29th busiest border patrol station for the month. The top station was Three Points in Tucson, Arizona, sector, with over 13,900 apprehensions in February.
Brownsville could give Biden a platform to argue illegal crossings have dropped dramatically given it was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for nine years. But Republicans have called it something else: a 'photo-op.' Speaker Mike Johnson accused Biden of going merely for the optics.
During a press conference held by House Republican leadership, several leaders criticized Biden for what they called a 'photo op.' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to GOP criticism of Biden's trip by bringing out that House Republicans declined to bring up a vote on a bipartisan border security bill following Trump's opposition, Daily Mail reported.
