Migrant rescues along US-Mexico border climb

Mass migration across the Western Hemisphere has fueled a growing number of arrivals at the US southern border. In recent months, a new trend has been taking shape that’s posed a challenge to the Biden administration: An increasing number of migrants are from countries outside of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Once apprehended, migrants might be released from government custody for a variety of reasons, like their nationalities – which can determine whether the US can easily remove or expel them – vulnerabilities or other limitations. Nongovernmental agencies along the border assist migrants who are released from custody as they travel to their final destinations in the US, where they may have relatives and will continue their immigration proceedings.

Ruben Garcia, director of Annunciation House, runs a network of shelters in El Paso.

“Over the past several months, the numbers have consistently been at 3,000 per week. … So there were nights where we had close to 400 people sleeping here,” he said, while showing CNN one of the major shelter sites, which is set to close this summer amid a shortage of volunteers.

Southern border cities are adjusting to the reality that migration flows won’t slow down. El Paso County is weighing a processing center to alleviate stressed shelters.

“I really believe that this is the new world that we’re going to be experiencing and it’s not going be a temporary situation. Nothing that we do and we’ve done before … none of that is functional,” said County Judge Ricardo Samaniego.

DHS may send migrants to cities away from the border

The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, is considering sending migrants to some US cities farther from the US-Mexico border depending on NGO capacity, according to a department official.

As part of ongoing planning to deal with a high volume of migrants, DHS has focused on more efficiently processing those who are released from custody while they go through their immigration proceedings.

The plan would send migrants to Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to the official, and help alleviate border shelters that have been overwhelmed.

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