Border Patrol chief: Federal facilities at capacity forcing Doņa Ana County to step-i
Border Patrol chief: Federal facilities at capacity forcing Doņa Ana County to step-in
by Adriana Candelaria | Jamel Valencia
Tuesday, April 23rd 2019
Border Patrol chief: Federal facilities at capacity forcing Doņa Ana County to step-in
The Border Patrol chief for the El Paso sector said his 11 stations are not only holding illegal migrants, but are also being used to store diapers and formula, posing a challenge.
Chief Aaron Hull provided commissioners court in Doņa Ana County a breakdown of how much this area of the border is overwhelmed with the influx of Central American migrants arriving, seeking asylum.
The need to house asylum seekers at shelters in Las Cruces began earlier this month.
Hull explained federal agencies are at capacity, which is why Border Patrol is releasing migrants to local shelters in Las Cruces and El Paso.
He said the challenge is the lack of bed space in governmental facilities.
Hull said before the influx of migrants, Border Patrol would turn them over to ICE removal operations.
ICRO is in charge of placing migrants in detention, but if they don’t have room they are released on their own recognizance pending their immigration proceedings.
ICRO has no more bed space because of underfunding, said Hull.
On April 11, a decision was made on a national level that Border Patrol had to begin releasing migrants on recognizance in Las Cruces and El Paso if ICRO couldn’t provide space anymore, said Hull.
Doņa Ana County Commissioner Court insisted during the meeting that local governments are paying the price and are concerned about the long-term financial effect.
Fernando Macías who is the Doņa Ana County manager, tells KFOX14 the county is unsure of how much longer it will continue to provide resources – as of Tuesday, it’s indefinitely.
“I’d much rather even be criticized or questioned about why we are providing services. We’re providing services so that the situation does not get out of control,” said Macias.
Macias adds that the county is joining the Border Patrol and other federal agencies in asking the federal government to fund the agencies with the resources they need.
“We are reaching out to our elected officials to our federal elected officials to make sure they’re aware of the problems that it’s occurring here at a local level,” said Macias.
“All of us who pay taxes into this process are paying to try to help understand and make sense and provide human treatment to these people but what I worry about is the threats to this country that are in no way being diminished,” said Hull.
The issue is fairly new to the county because local religious groups and nonprofit organizations have always led the migrant shelter efforts.
KFOX14 reached out to the Las Cruces Diocese to see if the shelters run by them are at capacity.
As of early Tuesday evening, they have not responded.
More than 155 asylum seekers were dropped off in Las Cruces Tuesday, according to city officials.
The Salvation Army will no longer be providing meals for asylum seekers starting Friday.
City officials said people or nongovernmental organizations will need to be found to provide that service outside of the Gospel Rescue Mission and Community of Hope.
https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/border...nty-to-step-in
