Videos show thousands of illegal immigrants waiting to be processed at Eagle Pass, Texas.
Reporter Bill Melugin shared footage on X, writing, “Video from a contact on the ground in Eagle Pass, TX right now shows a mass of thousands of migrants waiting to be processed by Border Patrol after they crossed illegally today. I’ve spent hundreds of days there over the last 2+ years and I’ve never seen it like this.”
BREAKING: Video from a contact on the ground in Eagle Pass, TX right now shows a mass of thousands of migrants waiting to be processed by Border Patrol after they crossed illegally today. I’ve spent hundreds of days there over the last 2+ years and I’ve never seen it like this. pic.twitter.com/JPNYY7sPxI
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) December 19, 2023
Fox News reporter Griff Jenkins announced there were more than 4,000 illegal immigrant crossings at Eagle Pass, with another 4,000 in Border Patrol custody.
NEW: Eagle Pass TX is being overwhelmed w migrants tonight w more than 4,000 illegally crossing today with no end in sight and more than 4,000 already in custody @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/55ImOMblcZ
— Griff Jenkins (@GriffJenkins) December 19, 2023
Railroad operations were also shut down to move CBP officers to the field of migrants.
BREAKING: Bill Melugin reporting that authorities are "suspending railway operations" at the southern border to free up agents to help with the flood of illegal immigration.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) December 18, 2023
"In other words, they're shutting down international commerce in order to help speed up processing of… pic.twitter.com/ds1RDa32i7
By shutting down railroad operations, agricultural products, food items, automotive parts, industrial materials, and consumer goods cannot be transported, Union Pacific announced.
Roughly 45% of all rail cars moving to and from Mexico cross through El Paso and Eagle Pass – there isn’t enough capacity at the other four gateways to reroute them. Union Pacific urges the Eagle Pass and El Paso border crossings be reopened immediately. This is impacting:
— Union Pacific (@UnionPacific) December 18, 2023
•… pic.twitter.com/iDPVhkEUTF
“Union Pacific urges the Eagle Pass and El Paso border crossings be reopened immediately. These locations represent 45% of cross-border Union Pacific business and include goods critical to the U.S. economy. There isn’t enough capacity at our other four gateways to reroute them,” the railroad company said in a statement.
“With Christmas and the New Year’s holidays just days away, Union Pacific is in close communication with multiple government agencies and our customers, urging that the crossings closed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection be reopened. While the company understands this is a complex humanitarian crisis, most migrants are not crossing the border on trains.”
“Every day that the border is closed, Union Pacific is forced to embargo customers’ goods on more than 60 trains, or nearly 4,500 rail cars, with an equivalent of goods being held in Mexico,” Union Pacific added. “Union Pacific is doing everything possible to stage trains and work with customers to prevent congestion at the border. The longer this closure is in effect, the more difficult it will be for cross-border trade to resume.”
In order to combat the migrant surge, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill into law that allows state law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants by making unlawful border crossings a state crime.
“Four years ago, the United States had the fewest illegal border crossings in decades,” Abbott said in a press release. “It was because of four policies put in place by the Trump Administration that led to such a low number of illegal crossings. President Biden has eliminated all of those policies and done nothing to halt illegal immigration. President Biden’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself. Today, I will sign three laws to better protect Texas—and America—from President Biden’s border neglect. These laws will help stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas, add additional funding to build more border wall, and crackdown on human smuggling.”
The law will take effect in March 2024.
