According to a United States Customs and Border Protection source, far fewer migrants are being released into the US in Eagle Pass, Texas compared to recent months, with detentions rising from an average of 5,000 in December to between 300-500 currently.
Most migrants undergoing accelerated credible fear interviews are now quickly deported via expedited removal without seeing a judge.
“This is purely political and designed to reduce overcrowding and migrant border crossings in Texas, so folks forget what the border was like here just two months ago,” the CBP source said.
“This should have been done three years ago. We could have prevented millions of migrant crossings and releases into the United States.”
Mexico’s efforts to curb migration and the prioritizing of detained migrants for interviews has allowed this swift process, frustrating Border Patrol used to general migrant releases previously.
While mirroring Trump-era programs, the Biden administration is not publicizing the increased detentions, interviews and removals, negating potential deterrent effects.
The source believes this is done for political reasons to ease border concerns rather than for long-term solutions, and that publicizing Mexico and home countries’ migration efforts could further discourage crossings.
