A border city inundated with 900 migrants a day has extended a state of emergency to keep shelters open.
El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser on Thursday extended the disaster declaration in the Texas city for the fourth time as the crisis showed no signs of ending.
Lesser’s declaration must be re-signed each week after the city council was unable to renew a longer-term ordinance because a council member resisted.
The disaster unfolded on the same day that President Joe Biden criticized congressional Republicans for blocking a bipartisan immigration bill during his State of the Union address.
Biden accused his likely election opponent, Donald Trump, of pressuring Republicans to reject legislation that he said would have eased the border crisis.
El Paso, a Texas border city inundated by 900 migrants a day, has extended a state of emergency to keep shelters open.
Lesser said the declaration was necessary to maintain emergency plans that allowed public buildings to be used as shelters and helped charities deliver aid.
“The city of El Paso remains unwavering in its dedication to addressing the pressing humanitarian and public safety issues caused by the influx of immigrants,” he said.
‘We recognize the importance of collaborative efforts with NGOs and humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to those in need, which is why I intend to sign the local Disaster Declaration.
“The impending disaster declaration is a crucial step in mobilizing essential resources and ensuring a coordinated response to the challenges we face in our community.”
El Paso’s longest disaster declaration must be unanimously approved by the council, and Josh Acevedo single-handedly blocked it last month.
He said the statement was not clear enough about how long members of the National Guard and state troopers would be stationed in the city.
“There is no clarity on the exact amount of state resources and law enforcement personnel that have been invited into our community due to these statements,” he said.
Acevedo said he might change his mind if there was more transparency around certain details of the statement.
The mayor said the declaration was necessary to maintain emergency plans that allowed public buildings to be used as shelters and helped charities deliver aid.
President Joe Biden criticized congressional Republicans for blocking a bipartisan immigration bill during his State of the Union address.
Biden used part of his State of the Union address to Congress to talk about the border crisis, primarily calling on Republicans to pass the immigration bill.
Senators from both parties reached a deal that would have tightened border policies and provided funding to reduce wait times for asylum hearings to six months, among other measures.
However, House Republicans rejected the bill under pressure from Trump, who wanted to use the issue to hit his opponent in the election campaign.
‘If my predecessor is watching instead of paying politics and pressuring members of Congress to block the bill, join me in telling Congress to pass it. We can do it together,’ he stated.
‘I will not demonize immigrants by saying that they are poisoned in the blood of our country. I will not separate families. I will not.’
Biden argued that the bill would have decreased the “incentive” for migrants to pay human smugglers $8,000 to cross the border.
Migrants are often released into the United States after surrendering to border patrol and do not face a hearing on their asylum claims for years.
He argued that the bill would reduce that time to six months or even six weeks, discouraging immigrants who were not genuine refugees from trying their luck.
El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser on Thursday extended the disaster declaration in the Texas city for the fourth time, as the crisis shows no signs of ending.
Groups of migrants of different nationalities arrive at the Rio Grande, to cross it and surrender to the US authorities in El Paso
Hitting Biden at the border has been a successful political issue for Trump. Two weeks ago, the men made dueling trips to the southern border to examine the situation there.
Biden went to Brownsville, Texas, where border crossings are reduced. Trump went to Eagle Pass, where he was still a big deal.
‘We can fight to fix the border, or we can fix it. I’m ready to fix it,’ he said. ‘Send me the border bill. Now.’
Border crossings peaked at around 10,000 in mid-winter, mostly at Eagle Pass, before slowing in recent weeks.
El Paso Border Patrol Officer Claudio Herrera said the numbers were expected to increase as the weather became warmer, but they were lower than the previous year.
‘Overall, encounters here in the El Paso sector have decreased significantly. “We’re talking about, approximately, a 50 percent decrease from the previous fiscal year, 2023,” he said.
Groups of migrants of different nationalities arrive at the border wall before crossing into the US near El Paso
The city of El Paso’s website explained that about 70 percent of the asylum seekers were from Venezuela and were fleeing political and economic turmoil.
Homeless Opportunity Center Deputy Director John Martin said the number of people in homeless shelters was increasing.
‘I think there is a level of concern among all shelters right now. And we share the same level of concern. But we will continue to operate the way we have for the last 30 years,” he told ABC News.
‘We are starting to see some upward trends at the moment, but there is nothing to worry about at this time.
“The numbers appear to be increasing in terms of the number of encounters (those currently in custody) as well as the number of community releases that are being coordinated.”
The city of El Paso’s website explained that about 70 percent of the asylum seekers were from Venezuela and were fleeing political and economic turmoil.
“(The city) gives our priority to the individual migrant, providing food and water, connectivity, transportation assistance and temporary shelter if necessary,” it said.
“People who cross come from all over the world to escape economic devastation and extreme crime.”