Over 1,800 Central American Migrants Arrive in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico at United States-Mexico Border

By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2019

A large caravan of over 1,800 Central American migrants arrived in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico at the United States-Mexico border on Monday, February 4, 2019, aboard 49 charter buses at approximately 3:30 P.M., announced Mayor Claudio Bres Garza of Piedras Negras, Coahuila. Piedras Negras, Coahuila’s American sister city is Eagle Pass, Texas.

With only a few days to prepare for the arrival of the large Central American migrant caravan, the City of Piedras Negras, Coahuila and the State of Coahuila, Mexico hastily made preparations to receive and host this unprecedented group of migrants in this fair United States-Mexico border.  The City of Piedras Negras, Coahuila opened two empty former Maquiladora assembly plants and furbished them to act as temporary headquarters and housing for the over 1,800 migrants. The huge warehouses were furbished with hundreds of mattresses, blankets, portable restrooms, showers, cafeteria, and volunteers in order to process the 1,800 plus migrants that arrived in this U.S.-Mexico border, about 145 miles southwest of San Antonio, Texas, presenting a huge logistical situation to Mexican authorities.

Mayor Claudio Bres Garza met with his American sister city, Eagle Pass, Texas, and American Customs and Border Protection officials on Monday, February 4th, before the immediate arrival of the large Central American migrants caravan to discuss joint security and humanitarian relief efforts between the United States and Mexico to accommodate the group.

As each of the 49 charter buses rolled into Piedras Negras, Coahuila, they were escorted to the two large former maquiladora warehouses for welcoming and processing them in an orderly manner. One warehouse was designated for women and children only while a second warehouse for men, causing consternation from some of the migrant families due to the separation of their families.  Mexican authorities noted this measure was taken for health and safety reasons.  All Central American migrants are being processed and given a health examination before settling into their temporary housing quarters.

On the United States side of the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, the United States Department of Homeland Security via its Customs and Border Protection agents have implemented previously unseen heightened security measures in the two international bridges that connect the United States-Mexico border.  In the City of Eagle Pass International Bridge No. 2, Customs and Border Protection have closed three of the five lanes with barriers and barbed wire and CBP officers guarding the international boundary line while leaving only one lane of travel for incoming traffic into the Untied States and another lane for outgoing traffic to Mexico.  The City of Eagle Pass International Bridge No. 1, there are about 20 to 30 CBP Officers in riot gear guarding the U.S.-Mexico international boundary line.  Underneath the two elevated Eagle Pass international bridges, many U.S. Border Patrol vehicles and officers are guarding the Rio Grande River banks from any potential influx of Central American migrants who may attempt to swim across the river into the United States.

The over 1,800 Central American migrants seek political asylum in the United States. Eagle Pass Port of Entry Director Paul Del Rincon noted that his personnel are able to handle only 14 to 16 asylum claimants per day.  Under American asylum law, applicants must request asylum within one year of entering the United States. Then the applicants must undergo a credible fear interview with U.S. CBP and/or Immigration officials to determine if they are being persecuted in their country due to belonging to a certain social or political group. If the asylum applicant is determined to have demonstrated a credible fear at his or her interview, then they are allowed to enter the United States and released on a bond while their asylum claim is being decided or heard in an Immigration Court, a process which may take anywhere between one to five years.  If the asylum applicant fails to demonstrate a credible fear, the applicant is deported to his or her country.

Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber noted that the Sheriff’s Department SWAT Team is available to assist the federal government authorities if called upon for assistance.  In addition, Sheriff Schmerber stated that the Texas Department of Public Safety notified him that it was sending 30 additional DPS Troopers to assist with patrolling all public roads in the Middle Rio Grande region on the U.S.-Mexico border.

This normal tranquil U.S.-Mexico border at Piedras Negras, Coahuila and Eagle Pass, Texas is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and heightened security alert for the first time.