Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras Prepare for Surge of Migrants as Del Rio Receives Over 11,000
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
The City of Del Rio, Texas Mayor Bruno Lozano pleaded with the United States and Texas governments to assist his city and its Mexican sister city of Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico as over 11,000 migrants have crossed into the United States from Mexico during the past week, creating a humanitarian crisis as the migrants have taken to live underneath the Del Rio International Bridge on the banks of the Rio Grande River.
The influx of such a large group of migrants from Haiti and other Central and South American countries within the past week has overwhelmed the human manpower and resources of the Del Rio Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol in processing the migrants despite their extraordinary efforts.
Mayor Lozano reported that sources within Mexico have confirmed that approximately another 20,000 migrants are traveling towards the U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio and surrounding areas, including potentially Eagle Pass.
Consequently, Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Coahuila federal, state, and local authorities met on Thursday, September 16, 2021, at the Offices of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the Eagle Pass International Bridge No. 2 in Eagle Pass to discuss and develop contingency plans in the event that the surge of migrants should attempt to cross through Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras similarly to Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna.
Eagle Pass Customs and Border Protection Port Director Paul Del Rincon hosted the meeting between the Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras authorities. Del Rincon noted he had visited Del Rio to observe and meet with CBP representatives concerning the current migrant situation in those border cities. Both Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras authorities are on alert in the event the migrants should attempt to cross through this border.
Texas Governor Gregg Abbott has mobilized the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to Del Rio to assist federal, county, and local authorities to handle and process the migrants at that border. Abbott also demanded that the federal government close six border ports of entry on the Texas-Mexico border, but the federal government under President Joe Biden denied Abbott’s demand. Most of the migrants cross through the Rio Grande River instead of through the ports of entry.
In Del Rio, the migrants cross the Rio Grande River at a low water river curtain that makes it easy to cross back and forth between Ciudad Acuna and Del Rio. Migrants easily cross into Mexico to purchase food, clothing, and other necessities, including to charge their cell telephones, and return to Del Rio to await to have their assigned number by Border Patrol called for processing. Meanwhile, a small favela has developed underneath the Del Rio International Bridge.
Will Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras be next to see a surge of migrants attempt to cross through this border? Only time will tell. Stay tuned.
