Shocking video showed migrants crawling through unguarded barbed wire at Eagle Pass, Texas, and disappearing into the woods under the cover of darkness.
Migrants were seen sneaking one after another into the brambles of the US-Mexico border city in an attempt to cross the border without being processed.
Dozens, including at least three children, stealthily made their way through barbed wire at what appeared to be a moment when no border patrol or guards were in sight.
Trucks for Border Patrol agents processing the arrivals were parked on the other side along the Del Rio Bridge, as seen in the video posted Friday by @JLRINVESTIGATES on X, formerly Twitter.
Jonathan Lee Wealthwho uses the handle @JLRINVESTIGATES, is an investigative journalist from Florida who has been reporting on migrants crossing Eagle Pass in recent days.
Migrants were heard cheering and shouting as they disappeared into the undergrowth.
Eagle Pass has been at the epicenter of the migrant crisis and was hit by a huge influx of illegal crossings this week as agents are “too busy processing the border to police the border,” according to a leaked document.
Migrants seen after crossing the Rio Grande river border from Piedras Negras, Mexico into the US on September 27, 2023
More than 8,000 migrants have crossed the border at Eagle Pass every day for the past week
The Texas city of just 28,000 residents has been overrun by migrants in recent days, with the number of border crossings rising to about 8,000 per day in the week ending September 22, according to the Washington Office of Latin America.
During the month of August, more than 232,000 migrants crossed the US-Mexico border.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinos has declared a state of emergency over the crisis, but a document reportedly leaked by a border agent appears to show that the unprecedented number of arrivals is now making it impossible for them to effectively police the border crossing.
The report was shared by DC Examiner reporter Anna Giaritelli on Xwhich claimed that “all Border Patrol agents have been redirected to other duties (primarily migrant processing) so there will not be a single agent in the field.”
Giaritelli added that the agent who shared the document is “pretty pissed off about this,” a sentiment echoed by Elon Musk when he revealed this week that he is traveling to Eagle Pass to help address the “serious problem.” to take.
During the month of August, more than 232,000 migrants crossed the US-Mexico border – and it is estimated that up to two million migrants have crossed this year
Some migrants were seen struggling with soaking wet bags of belongings as they tried to cross the river, where they were met by military troops on the Texas side.
After entering the U.S., many migrants stood in lines as they waited to be processed by border agents
According to the leaked document, which has not been independently verified by DailyMail.com, all Border Patrol agents in Eagle Pass have been assigned to processing at various migrant centers.
The memo adds that there should be nothing at the border that “indicates any form of deployment/enforcement in the field.”
The lack of Border Patrol agents comes as agents struggle to cope with crossings matched only by levels seen in April 2023, when the pandemic-era Title 42 immigration policy ended.
Harrowing images of the porous border show droves of migrants crossing difficult terrain and wading through the Rio Grande River.
Families are seen clinging to each other, some struggling to carry soaking wet bags of belongings across the water.
After crossing from Mexico in Piedras Negras, the asylum seekers are met by law enforcement officers, including the National Guard, before reaching long lines of barbed wire.
Migrants cross the Rio Grande River from Piedras Negras, Mexico to Eagle Pass on Friday
A document shows that all Border Patrol agents in Eagle Pass have been assigned to processing at various migrant centers
Officers are seen helping people through the grounds, including lifting small children exhausted from the journey to safety, as many migrants wait in line to be processed.
Salinos’ declaration of a state of emergency came as 100,000 people are believed to have waded through the Rio Grande into the city last week, and he blasted President Biden this week for “abandoning” his community.
Over the past 10 days, police in Eagle Pass have also arrested more than 17,000 illegal immigrants, police said. Washington Examiner.
Shelters in border towns like Eagle Pass are well over capacity due to the thousands of crossings per day.
As officials look for solutions, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has led the movement to bus migrants to northern states to share the burden of ineffective border policies while bringing the crisis to national attention.
Many migrants, including young children, are victims of complex multi-billion-dollar human trafficking schemes run by drug cartels that funnel people across the border.
A border agent walked along barbed wire lines near the border in Eagle Pass, Texas
In New York, where more than 100,000 migrants have flooded into the city, Mayor Eric Adams admitted this month that the influx could “destroy” the Big Apple.
But Salinas addressed such comments when he decried Biden’s response to the Eagle Pass influx, saying on social media this week: “We are not a city that has the resources of New York, Chicago, and cities like that.
‘You already see that large cities are complaining that they are receiving large numbers of undocumented immigrants. I mean, we’re Eagle Pass. We have limited resources, so this is not sustainable.
“What’s disappointing as mayor is that we haven’t heard from the President of the United States or the Vice President of the United States… To this day, I have never heard of a concrete action plan to address this.” fuses. won’t happen again. Sometimes we feel a little abandoned here on the border here in Eagle Pass.”
As the situation at Eagle Pass continues to deteriorate, tech billionaire Elon Musk — an outspoken critic of the migrant crisis — said this week he is preparing to visit the border city.
Musk, 52, said he spoke with Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales, prompting him to plan a visit “to see what’s going on for myself.”
‘They are being overwhelmed by unprecedented numbers – they have just reached an all-time high and are still growing!’ he said on his platform X, formerly Twitter.
Elon Musk has announced that he will go to Eagle Pass, Texas later this week to observe the situation at the US-Mexico border
In another message responding to a DailyMail.com video of chaos outside a Staten Island migrant shelter, Musk said “this is a serious crisis.”
A large number of refugees have left Venezuela amid the country’s ongoing economic downturn, with more than seven million residents leaving the country of 29 million people in February, reports said The New York Times.
While the vast majority of the seven million have opted for neighboring countries, many have found their way to the US. From 2015 to 2018, only about 100 Venezuelans were stopped at the border each year.
From October 2021 to August 2022, that number was 150,000.
About two million migrants are believed to have crossed the US southern border in 2023, with many citing Biden’s lax policies as the reason.
Another 500,000 could cross by the end of the year.
As Biden comes under increasing pressure to address the problems at the border, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently announced that another 800 troops would be sent to the border to help with the crisis, along with the more than 2,500 National Guard members already deployed.
The huge influx of Venezuelan migrants prompted Biden to announce last week that he would implement fast-track processing for more than 300,000 asylum seekers from the economically devastated country.
Biden indicated the decision was made in hopes of easing pressure on underfunded border officials as they are under pressure.