Large migrant group enters US as Title 42 set to expire
Fox News’ Bill Melugin reports on a group of over 1,000 migrants seen crossing into the U.S.
Hundreds of migrants are taking shelter at El Paso Airport, amid a surge of migrants to the already strained southern border.
In the last 24 hours, U.S. Customs and Border Protection sources said Monday that its El Paso sector has seen 2,397 migrant encounters.
A CBP representative told Fox News Digital the migration falls on local police forces after migrants are processed.
An El Paso Police Department sergeant told Fox News Digital that migrants began going to the airport around mid-September.
Migrants seen sheltering at the El Paso Airport on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. (James Garza)
"Large groups were crossing, processed and federal facilities went over capacity then migrants were dropped off in the downtown area near the Greyhound bus depot and at the El Paso airport," he shared.
The sergeant said some migrants have already made arrangements for flights while others are waiting to make arrangements or receive money for flights.
El Paso City Council member Claudia Rodriguez told Fox News Digital her city has helped the federal government designate reserved areas for the migrants.
Migrants seen sheltering at the El Paso Airport on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. (James Garza)
"I guess the general rule is that they can't be at the airport for longer than 12 hours," says Rodriquez, "So everybody that is there is under the assumption that they have their flight scheduled within 12 hours, if not [they're] just supposed to be asked to leave."
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Rodriguez says her city alone has used over $8 million of their general fund money on "loan" to the federal government in order to assist the migrant operation.
A Customs and Border Protection bus drops off dozens of migrants, mostly from Venezuela, at the City of El Paso's migrant welcome center, Sept. 22, 2022. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News)
"In general, people in El Paso feel overtaxed. And to fund something that is the responsibility of the federal government is something that they're not OK with," she added.
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The sergeant says the number of migrants fluctuate day-to-day depending on how many are processed and released by Border Patrol.
He added, "We’ve been informed that the number of migrants processed have risen in recent days from approximately 2,000 to about 5,000 a day and even more are expected in the very near future."
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