Texas Highway Patrol troopers arrested a large group migrant migrants on Monday, shortly after they crossed the shallow Rio Grande to the north of Eagle Pass. The agency had interdicted two large groups that day. According to a Texas Highway Patrol spokesperson, 27 of the migrants in the large group were “Special interest aliens,” citizens from Afghanistan, Pakistan Iran, Egypt and India.

The Texas Army National Guard soldiers, along with the Texas troopers, arrested a second group of 41 migrants earlier in the morning. This brings the total number apprehended on Monday by the Texas Army National Guard and Texas troopers to 271.

A source with U.S. Customs and Border Protection says that many of the migrants in the group are likely to be released to the United States so they can file asylum claims, due to the difficulty of returning them home. Breitbart Texas reported that the source, who was not authorized to talk to the media about the group, said it was the largest in recent months.

The source said that “since December, we have seen a steady decrease in large groups crossing the border. Groups returning to the country now average slightly more than 100 people, but it is the first time we’ve recently seen 200 or more,” she added.

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According to the source, the recent rise in Special Interest Alien crossings is alarming. According to the 2019 DHS factsheet, “Special Interest Aliens” are defined as:

SIAs are generally non-U.S. citizens who, based upon an analysis of their travel patterns, could pose a threat to national security or the interests of the United States. Oft, such individuals or group are using travel patterns that have been evaluated or known to be linked to terrorism. DHS analyses include an examination of travel trends, origins, and/or segments of travel that are linked to current assessments on national and international threats environments.

It does not mean all SIAs will be “terrorists,” rather, the travel and behaviors of these individuals may indicate a possible nexus with nefarious activities (including terrorism), and at a minimum provide indicators that require heightened screening and additional investigation. The designation SIA is not meant to imply any derogatory information regarding the individual. DHS has also never stated that it means anything more.

The rest of the migrants that Texas law enforcement officers and military personnel encountered under Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star came from many different countries. State authorities will prosecute some of the members of the group for trespassing. The Border Patrol took those who were not charged with state trespassing offenses.

Breitbart reported that Texas authorities encountered large groups of migrants crossing into Eagle Pass following a significant decrease in crossings. This was after Mexico’s increased enforcement efforts during the election year significantly slowed down the flow.

The Border Patrol has arrested more than 237,000 immigrants since October in the Del Rio Sector which includes Eagle Pass.