City officials in Laredo, Texas are suing President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security in order to stop the transfer of migrants from the Rio Grande Valley to their town for processing.
In the lawsuit obtained by KGNS News and filed on Friday, city officials allege that the Border Patrol has ramped up the number of migrant busloads into Laredo, a border town of about 260,000 people, from 3 to 6 per day and that the influx has made the migrant crisis "significantly worse" for the town.
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Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz told KGNS News that he hopes the temporary restraining order filed will pause the busloads coming into his town, which he says has the potential to overwhelm the city’s resources and increase the spread of the coronavirus.
Fox News reported this week that coronavirus cases among illegal immigrants at the border in the Rio Grande Valley sector have skyrocketed roughly 900%.
"There’s so much pressure to handle these migrants, I think they’re doing the best they can, but again I go to your question... why not send them further north to a community that’s better prepared and equipped to handle all operational aspects of these migrants?" Saenz said.
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Saenz added that the restraining order will hopefully give him time to meet with federal officials to hammer out an agreement.
Last month, Border Patrol agents in Laredo reported that criminal arrests of illegal immigrants were up over 1,000% this year. Additionally, the Border Patrol revealed last week that 188,829 migrants were encountered at the border in June, which represents an increase from May.
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Over 1 million illegal immigrants have been encountered by Border Patrol agents this fiscal year at the southern border.