Border Patrol apprehending about 3,100 people a week

POSTED: 06:52 PM CDT Jul 28, 2015 UPDATED: 08:24 PM CDT Jul 28, 2015

(Video at source link)

EDINBURG -

A year ago thousands of families illegally crossed into the United States.

Border Patrol agents confirmed they have seen a slight increase in the number of people illegally crossing the border.

Along the Rio Grande River, anticipation begins to set in for Border Patrol agents for the possibility of a second wave. “We’re planning. You know, the Border Patrol is certainly planning,” Rio Grande Valley Acting Sector Chief Raul Ortiz said.

They said they’re still well below last year’s surge. Apprehensions are 48 percent lower than last fiscal year. “We’ve apprehended about 118,000 people this year,” Ortiz said. “Yet, we’re still the busiest sector in the country.”

Border Patrol is catching about 3,100 people a week. Federal authorities also confirmed holding cells are still well below capacity.

“We’ve seen a little bit of a spike a couple of days out the week,” Ortiz said. However, agents in the Rio Grande Valley said it’s not a big enough uptick to become a trend.

Volunteers at Sacred Heart Church said they too are seeing the same slight increase. About 100 families are showing up for help after they were caught and released at the border.

“In the last three weeks or so, we’ve had about 10 days that we’ve gone over 100 people a day,” Eli Fernandez, director of Sacred Heart Church Immigrant Respite Center, said.

The center helps the families released by the federal authorities. “We have seen a pretty good size increase of people coming through,” Fernandez said. “Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala are the most prevalent countries.”

Fernandez said the family units that come in are either a mom or a dad with children. “We are getting a lot more people than we were seeing earlier this year,” he said.

However, Border Patrol and Fernandez are making the proper preparations. “More than likely the numbers will probably go up,” Fernandez said. “You know, as word gets out, the families will, you know, talk to another family back home.”

“There’s certainly concern that we could potentially see an increase in traffic,” Ortiz said.

If a second surge does happen, responders said they will be ready.

http://www.krgv.com/news/local-news/...ssers/34407978