Border Patrol agents at the southern border have been caught on camera cutting through razor wire and assisting migrants in entering the US. Texas Governor Greg Abbott had installed the wire as a deterrent, but it appears to have been ineffective as border crossings continue to rise, reaching 8,000 a day in the week ending September 22. In the video, the agents can be seen cutting through the wire and helping a group of migrants, including women and children, to climb up an embankment. The footage shows the officers placing fabric over the wire to prevent injuries and later processing the migrants who have successfully crossed the border. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges and overwhelming influx of migrants at the border, prompting the governor to deploy more Texas National Guard personnel and reinstall razor wire.
The town of Eagle Pass, Texas, has been particularly overwhelmed by migrants in recent days, with over 7,500 entering a town of only 28,000 people on Monday and Tuesday alone, leading Mayor Rolando Salinas to issue an Emergency Declaration. The situation is further aggravated by the intense heat and prolonged exposure that migrants have to endure. In response to the incident, Governor Abbott criticized the Biden Administration for removing the razor wire and allowing more migrants to enter the country. The border expert from the Center for Immigration Studies, Todd Bensman, explained that Eagle Pass is an attractive location for migrants due to its accessibility and the relative ease of crossing into Border Patrol territory. The crisis at the border has led to calls for enhanced border control measures and an expanded immigration system to address the overwhelming number of migrants.
Despite ending Title 42, a policy introduced by former President Trump to regulate border crossings in light of COVID-19 precautions, the Biden Administration has failed to effectively address the border crisis. The statistics indicate that a lower percentage of border-crossing migrants are being turned back into Mexico compared to the previous administration. In August alone, the US Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, a 37% increase from the previous month. The situation has also impacted major American cities, with New York City officials distributing flyers at shelters to discourage migrants from seeking free housing in the city. As the crisis persists, emergency shelters have been set up in landmarks such as The Roosevelt Hotel.