EL PASO, Texas — Dozens of U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents flooded the historic downtown area where hundreds of processed and released and illegal immigrants have been staying the past few weeks to what was advertised as an "enforcement operation."
The operation was weird from the start. First, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the operation the night before it was supposed to start in a press release, stating:
Immigration enforcement agents will process individuals for vetting and placement into Title 42 expulsion or Title 8 removal proceedings, as applicable. Noncitizens who pose a threat to national security or public safety will be transferred to ICE for detention.
'As we have said repeatedly, individuals who do not have a lawful basis to remain will be removed,' said Acting Commissioner Troy Miller. 'Individuals should not listen to the lies of smugglers and instead use lawful pathways to protection.'
Border Patrol agents then passed out flyers early Tuesday morning that encouraged people, in Spanish, that if they illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and did not turn themsleves in, then go to a processing site down the road to get documentation. Many people who fell into that category took advantage of the opportunity.
Long line of illegal immigrants in El Paso who have been staying on the streets and are now turning themselves in to be processed. This is after DHS announced a crackdown (that was supposed to take place this morning) on people who crossed illegally and didn’t turn themselves in. pic.twitter.com/14N2Sx9xY9
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) May 9, 2023
The enforcement operation finally took place in the afternoon, but all it amounted to was checking people's documentation. If someone was caught not having papers, they were not taken into custody and were instead ordered to go to the processing site near the Paso del Norte Port of Entry.
Border Patrol and ICE agents are now going through the migrant camp in El Paso, they’re checking documentation but haven’t seen anyone be taken into custody yet. pic.twitter.com/QzZMRwjCmu
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) May 9, 2023
The walk through the downtown area took around 30 minutes before all the agents left as quickly as they appeared.
