The city of El Paso, Texas, is facing an imminent crisis as the Biden administration has failed to take action to address the surge of illegal immigrants expected to arrive when the public health expulsion order Title 42 expires at the end of December. With local resources stretched thin and no help from the federal government, El Paso officials have requested that military bases be used to house illegal immigrants in order to alleviate some of the strain on their resources.
In recent weeks, border officials have seen a steady increase in illegal immigration into Texas and other border states, with officials expecting a massive influx of individuals when President Biden’s Title 42 order expires on Dec. 21. The order was put in place by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 and allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to quickly expel migrants who cross the border illegally due to public health concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of this impending surge, El Paso Deputy City Manager Mario D’Agostino has asked the Biden administration to use military bases like Ft. Bliss—which previously housed Afghan refugees after the U.S.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan—to help relieve some of the pressure on local resources that will be strained by this influx of illegal immigrants. However, it appears that his request has fallen on deaf ears as there has been no response from federal authorities so far.
Breaking! Over the weekend, the El Paso Sector experienced a major surge in illegal crossings, with a 3-day average of 2,460 daily encounters, primarily through the downtown area of El Paso. We will continue to keep the public informed as the situation evolves. pic.twitter.com/V2pOO6Y31N
— Peter Jaquez (@USBPChiefEPT) December 12, 2022
El Paso is not alone in its struggles; cities across Texas are also bracing for an influx of illegal immigrants over the next few weeks as CBP agents have already started releasing hundreds into communities without warning or notice due to overcrowding in detention centers along the southern border.
This lack of preparation and planning on behalf of both state and federal governments is causing concern among many Texans who fear that they will not be able to handle such a large number of people crossing into their state illegally without any assistance or guidance from Washington D.C..
According to DailyCaller, the city expects to spend millions of dollars more of its funds with the hope that the federal government will pay it back.
El Paso is already awaiting a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement for over $5 million spent between July and September to support illegal immigrants and an additional $4.7 million for costs expected with the oncoming surge, the city said in an emailed statement to the DCNF.
Federal border authorities have seen an influx of illegal immigrants crossing throughout the southern border, encountering a record of more than 230,000 of them in fiscal year 2022.
It remains unclear how this situation will unfold over the coming weeks, but one thing is certain: If something isn’t done soon, El Paso and other cities across Texas could find themselves facing a full-blown crisis come December 21st as thousands more individuals attempt to cross into America illegally while local governments scramble for resources to accommodate them all. Without any help or support from either state or federal authorities, it may be too late for these towns before they even realize what is happening—and that should worry us all.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.