Texas: El Paso at 'Breaking Point' Amid Surge in Migrants, Refugees

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • An unprecedented increase in migrants and refugees crossing into the US from Mexico has pushed El Paso, the most populous city in West Texas, to 'breaking point,' Mayor Oscar Leeser said on Saturday.1
  • According to Leeser, at least 2K migrants have been claiming asylum each day — a significant rise from the 350-400 daily arrivals just six weeks ago.2
  • Revealing that at least 32% of migrants arriving in El Paso are families, while roughly two-thirds are single men, Leeser commented that the US has 'a broken immigration system.'1
  • Also stating that the dramatic influx had strained the city's resources, Lesser added that El Paso plans to open a new shelter to house those escaping hunger, violence, and political turmoil in their home countries.3
  • Lesser's remarks come shortly after Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. signed an emergency declaration to seek additional state funding, after nearly 2.5K migrants crossed into the city bordering Mexico on Sept. 20th.4
  • The record number of unlawful crossings into the US has strained many border facilities, including in Tucson and San Diego, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers are reportedly running out of space to process new arrivals.5

Sources: 1The national, 2Al Jazeera, 3Reuters, 4The texas tribune and 5New York Post.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by The hill. If the US is serious about improving the situation at the border, Washington must fix its broken immigration system and create a straightforward pathway to citizenship. By allowing migrants to enter into the US legally, the Biden admin. would not only clear immigration-related backlogs but also address labor shortages and the inflation that has been plaguing the country for decades. Additionally, more must be done to speed up asylum applications and protect vulnerable applicants who remain camped at the border.
  • Right narrative, as provided by FOX News. Foreign labor is a burden on the country, not a cure for economy-wide inflation, because immigrants use more in public services than they pay in taxes and depress the wages of low-skill Americans. The effects of the increasing numbers of illegal and undocumented migrants continues to ripple across the country, with the scenes at border cities reminiscent of conflict-torn countries. The US Congress must re-instate the Remain in Mexico policy, which effectively tackled illegal immigration and asylum fraud.

Predictions