More than 10,000 migrants, mostly Haitians, stranded around a bridge in the state of Texas
The US government of Joe Biden announced on Saturday that it would accelerate the rate of expulsions by plane of more than 10,000 migrants, especially Haitians, gathered for several days under a bridge in Texas after having crossed the border illegally from Mexico.
In a statement, the Ministry of Homeland Security announced that it would “obtain additional transport to accelerate the pace and increase the capacity of deportation flights to Haiti and other destinations”, aboard planes, in the next 72 hours.
These migrants arrived in Del Rio, Texas, crossing the Rio Grande River. From less than 2,000 at the start of the week, they were more than 10,500 on Friday, according to figures communicated by the mayor of this border town, Bruno Lozano, who expects many new arrivals.
The spectacular images of these migrants massed under a bridge in the heat have in recent days pushed the Republican opposition but also Democratic voices to urge Joe Biden to resolve the situation without delay. The Democratic mayor of Del Rio declared a state of emergency and closed the bridge to traffic on Friday.
The border with Mexico over the Rio Grande Bridge is temporarily closed to traffic.
PAUL RATJE / AFP
The US border police, CBP, sent 400 additional agents to “improve surveillance of the area,” said the Department of Homeland Security, unveiling Saturday a plan to contain the situation. The ministry was already carrying out “deportations as well as flights to Haiti, Mexico, Ecuador and the countries of the northern triangle”, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, he said.
The Biden Administration recalled “that our borders are not open and that no one should take this dangerous trip”, as in response to criticism from Republicans who accuse the Democratic president of creating a draft by promising a policy “more human” migration.
“Migration crisis”
Border guards claimed to have distributed drinking water, towels and portable toilets to migrants. “The vast majority of migrants continue to be expelled under” a health rule adopted at the start of the pandemic to limit the spread of the virus, said Homeland Security.
A federal judge, however, ordered the government on Thursday to no longer deport families in this context, which could complicate the task of the authorities, already faced with historic migratory flows on the border with Mexico. The government appealed the decision on Friday.
Among the other migrants, those who do not have “legal reasons to stay” are subject to the ordinary regime of expulsions, the statement said. On Friday, some 2,000 migrants were sent to other centers so that the border police could “quickly” process their cases and “deport” them if necessary.