The massive influx of immigrants once again took the Border Patrol agents and the City and County authorities by surprise, who were astonished to see an invasion of some streets and properties located in the Downtown area, just as it happened on end of 2022.
More than half a thousand foreigners divided into two groups, some managed to get to the Sagrado Corazón church, located in the Segundo Barrio, and another to a farm under construction next to the shelter of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless to ask for a lodging, but to Unfortunately, both sites are saturated, which is why they were left out in the open.
“We have been sleeping on the street for four days, we beg that they give us a space to sleep at night,” said Gilberto, a native of Venezuela who managed to cross the border early Monday morning.
According to a survey carried out by El Diario de El Paso, most of the migrants camped around the Jesuit temple crossed the border illegally out of desperation to remain in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
“There are many gaps and blind spots through which we can cross the border and it’s all a matter of time and patience,” said one of the clever migrants who crossed the river and the border fence again.
Although the Border Patrol authorities believe that the mesh is a deterrent that allows people to deter crossing it, it is not a guarantee that it cannot be trespassed.
“We are aware that along the border wall there are several gaps that criminal organizations have intentionally cut to facilitate the smuggling of migrants or drugs. The infrastructure is not there to stop the flow of people, we understand that the infrastructure is not going to stop the flow, but it does the job planned, it slows it down,” said the spokesman for the federal corporation, Fidel Baca.
He indicated that contractors are constantly, if not daily, repairing the holes made in the border wall, but unfortunately criminal organizations will surely make another hole along the wall.
And it is that according to the interviewees, although on the other side of the river they were treated well, their weariness of continuing stranded forced them to make the decision to continue their journey north in order to reach their destination and reunite with their relatives. or friends.
Before the sudden arrival, the Jesuit Father Rafael García was amazed and although his intention is to be able to help people, he says he is overwhelmed. “We were not prepared. We are prepared every day for our capacity of around 120 people, but above that number we can no longer help”, he affirmed while observing the new urban image of the sector.
And it is that when the situation was practically controlled as the lifting of the public health measure protected under Title 42 approached, the avalanche of migrants let themselves come. “All we want is to be given an opportunity to enter the country but they reject us and we don’t want to return to our countries,” said a woman, originally from Colombia, as she stroked the hair of one of her two children.
Despite the fact that the local authorities prohibit the installation of tents on public roads, dozens of them were erected in both makeshift camps. Others tied sheets provided by the Red Cross to the bars to protect themselves from the harsh rays of the sun that hit the alley that divides the church from the shelter.
“I crossed once and they returned me, I voluntarily turned myself in and they returned me, so I opted to enter ‘la brava’ again,” said one of the migrants who managed to evade Border Patrol surveillance, like the rest of the migrants. his compatriots.
Despite the fact that the federal authorities have reiterated on various occasions that the border is closed, this has not been an impediment for those aspiring to fulfill the so-called ‘American dream’ to achieve their goal of stepping on American soil.
“It worries me. I don’t think anyone really knows what’s going to happen. We do not have to wait for May 11 to see the reality that is happening now,” said the parish priest of the emblematic church built more than 125 years ago. “I did not expect to see so many migrants.”
Dozens of women and their children have waited for days for a space inside the shelter, however the answer given is that there is no space. “We are here in line waiting to be let in and to be able to spend the night safely,” said Maria as she gazed toward the horizon.
However, and given the contingency of what could be another migratory crisis, yesterday, Friday, City employees installed a dozen public bathrooms, toilet paper and a hygiene station for hand washing in order to meet the basic needs of the migrants. “How good, brother, that they have put these toilets on us. We are grateful,” said a man standing in line.
But despite the relief efforts that have begun assisting the new arrivals, most fear that Border Patrol agents or the Texas Department of Public Safety will arrive with the intent to carry out a raid.
“The truth is we are afraid that today in the afternoon, night or early morning they will arrive and pick us all up to deport us. That would be terrible,” said Isaac, who left his native Ecuador more than three months ago.
“I don’t want to be deported. If I get to Venezuela, they are going to kill me, I can’t go back,” said Eduardo, anguished, who also doesn’t want to return to Mexico because of the bad experience he had. “There they stole everything from me, my brother, and they wanted to kidnap me,” he said, anguished but at the same time happy to have managed to enter the United States.
