Border crisis: Over 1,000 migrants rush bridge linking Mexico to US in El Paso, Texas
Video shows that at least 1,000 migrants ran to the Paso Del Norte bridge connecting Mexico and the U.S. in El Paso Texas on Sunday to gain entry to the United States.
Crowd control measures were employed when the group of mostly Venezuelan migrants continued to push forward. However, sources at the border say that the efforts were unsuccessful.
Videos show migrants from all walks of life pushing towards the border. Some even put their hands up to encourage others.
Another video captures the moment migrants push onto the bridge and begin running for freedom. A sign over the sign reads, “Feliz VIaje,” which means happy travels.
A third video shows migrants lining up along riverbanks and gathering on a smaller bridge.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection increased their presence in the area, while the Mexican military tried to control the situation on the south side of the bridge.
Cameras that were set up to stream the bridge showed a dense buildup at the border with many CBP agents positioned behind razor wire and a barricade.
In FY 2022, there were over 2.3 million migrants in contact. FY 2023 is on track to surpass those records.
Republicans blame the Biden administration for the rise in encounters after Trump-era policies such as the Remain-in-Mexico, ending wall construction, and tightening interior ICE enforcement were reversed.
These accusations were refuted by the Biden administration, who accused Republicans of not voting for additional border funding and of not supporting a comprehensive immigration reform proposal that was introduced by the administration on day one.
President Biden appealed to Republicans for passage of parts of the bill in his State of the Union address. However, lawmakers have resisted the inclusion of citizenship pathways for illegal immigrants. Democrats insist that this is a necessity.