On Thursday, a mob of illegal immigrants broke through razor wire and charged the border wall in El Paso, TX, according to the New York Post.
Witnesses reported approximately 600 migrants at the border who had gathered for their annual “spring surge” of illegals hoping to gain access to the U.S.
The scene got tense when some of the women and children migrants were separated from adult males by members of the Texas National Guard who were attempting to organize them into smaller groups.
Today's cover: Over 100 migrants break through razor wire, knock down guards as they illegally cross El Paso border in wild scene https://t.co/05yu3yUTS1 pic.twitter.com/nIsk0acxKE
— New York Post (@nypost) March 22, 2024
A group of mostly single men wearing hoodies, gloves and winter jackets then rushed the Texas guardsmen. The illegal immigrants yanked the barrier away and bolted through the razor wire.
Heavily outnumbered guardsmen formed a defensive formation to fill the gap. The scene continued to become more frantic as the situation escalated.
Some of the illegal immigrants raised their hands in surrender as guardsmen attempted to push back on the surge. Other migrants continued to push through the gap in the wire, thrusting guards out of the way and scrambling through their legs.
The mob then stormed to the border gate and began shouting at U.S. officials on the other side.
https://nypost.com/2024/03/21/us-news/migrants-break-barriers-and-rush-border-guards-in-el-paso/
“We have women and children, we’re hungry,” one male migrant shouted.
Curiously, most of the children were in a group where some were beginning the process to come into the country.
Other guardsmen then converged on the area to secure the scene.
The chaos unfolded just as the state’s anti-illegal immigration law was being held up in the courts, according to Fox News.
President of the National Border Patrol Council Brandon Judd told Fox News Digital that the illegal migrants had been apprehended. Agents were reviewing video to find the migrants who had assaulted the guardsmen.
Once identified, the culprits will be processed for deportation but will still have the option to claim asylum. Texas also can charge suspected migrants with assault.
At least 2.4 million illegal migrants were encountered by U.S. officials in 2023. The numbers have gone down since the peak of 302,000 in December but could rise again as the summer months approach.
Texas has implemented security measures to stem the flow of illegal immigration, despite most of them being opposed by the Biden administration. Federal officials have cut razor wire and sued Texas for the use of buoys in the Rio Grande.
The Supreme Court briefly allowed Texas’ anti-illegal immigration law this week so police could arrest illegal immigrants. The law was challenged in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and blocked hours later so arguments on both sides could proceed.
Federal officials in the Biden administration claim the law intrudes on federal authority over immigration enforcement — or the lack thereof.
In the meantime, the chaos continues.