About 600 migrants have been released to the streets of El Paso, Texas by border enforcement agents since Friday. They said federal holding facilities and nonprofit shelters are full.
According to the U.S. Border Patrol, the city was asked to reopen its welcome center, but it refused. An El Paso city official said the city won’t help any more migrants until it receives the $6.6 million the Biden administration owes it.
El Paso has become one of the nation’s most overwhelmed border crossings. In some weeks, over 6,000 migrants cross into the city, and it’s cost the city nearly $9 million in 2022 to provide meals, beds and transport for asylum seekers. All of that money comes out of the city budget. City officials said they are waiting for reimbursement and advanced funding before they start any other operations.
In a meeting on Monday, El Paso Deputy City Manager Mario D’Augostino said the city has requested $3 million in emergency federal funds that, if approved, would allow the city to set up its welcome center for one month.
Mayor Oscar Leeser has resisted calls from city council members to declare a state of emergency. If he did, it would provide El Paso access to state and federal funds. According to figures published Tuesday, the city has only received $2.2 million.
Leeser also used $3.6 million of city funds to bus 10,000 migrants to New York and 3,200 to Chicago, to ease the influx on the city.
The city has reported 1,400 people per day attempting to cross from Mexico.
