By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Warmer weather and the anticipated end of a Trump-era deportation policy may mean a spring flood of illegal immigrants into the county, Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez said.
The sheriff made his comments in an interview with the 830 Times Friday.
“Illegal immigration in Val Verde County: This week alone, the chief (deputy) and I were driving along the border fence (off Frontera Road), and we came across two people from Venezuela who had just climbed over the fence, and they claimed there were several buses (of immigrants) that were dropped off in (Ciudad) Acuña the previous night. Some buses were turned back, but some buses were let through,” Martinez said.
“Yesterday (Thursday), I ran across 35 to 45 individuals on the other side of the fence, and they were from Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba and one from Nicaragua. So, they’re starting to come back. This morning we’ve got deputies (down on the border) with Border Patrol, and there are more coming to the main gate (in the border fence),” the sheriff said.
Martinez said a portion of the current increase is due to the good weather we’ve enjoyed recently: warm days and mild nights. It’s a trend that will continue as spring takes hold.
“It’s warming up. The weather is getting better, so that’s part of it,” he said.
Martinez said he also expects the flow of illegal immigration to increase if the Biden administration ends Title 42 restrictions initiated by President Donald Trump in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is set to review the Title 42 policies in early April, according to news reports, and if Title 42 ends, Martinez said he expects illegal immigration to increase sharply in tandem.
“Talk is that Title 42 is fixing to go away in the near future. Border Patrol, as it is now; they’re swamped. In Eagle Pass, they were holding 1,900 a couple of days ago. Sector-wide, I understand they’re holding about 2,800, and here in Del Rio, they’re holding over 500, so they’re making releases and capturing, so my understanding, one of my deputies ran across some Border Patrol agents this morning, and (my deputy) told me, ‘Sheriff, they’re swamped’,” Martinez said.
“It’s fixing to get busy, I think, all along the southern border,” the sheriff added.
And there are more prospective immigrants waiting in Mexico, Martinez said.
“In talking to one of the people from Venezuela three days ago, he told me there are more than 30,000 (immigrants) down there in Tapachula, Mexico, and the majority are Haitians. That’s what he claimed, so I think there’s going to be a major influx of people again, somewhere along the southern border, in the near future,” Martinez said.
“Right now, Eagle Pass is getting hammered. When you’re holding 1,900 people and sector-wide you’re holding 2,800, I think the number already supersedes last year’s numbers, which were high, at this point,” the sheriff said.
As was the case during past waves of immigration and other situations, Martinez said his priority is keeping the communities in Val Verde County safe.
“We’re keeping an eye on the situation as it develops, and we’ll do everything we can to keep our communities safe, first and foremost. At the same time, we’re going to do what we can to support our federal partners, trying to help them accomplish their mission. Right now, with the current situation, it’s very hard for them to do their jobs, so we’re going to stand with them and support them,” Martinez said.
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