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US Border Patrol rounded up illegal migrants camped out on streets near a Catholic church in El Paso, Texas on Tuesday, the agency confirmed to The Post.
Federal agents continued checking migrants on the streets of the border town throughout Wednesday and took any who were not authorized asylum seekers into custody.
An eyewitness said: They were asking people across from the church where many of them are staying for documents. If they produced them, they let them go. If not, they took them in.
Sources said dozens were arrested by border agents and most likely expelled to Mexico.
As The Post has documented, around 60 migrants slipped over the border in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and othersfreelyadmitted to The Post they snuck into the countryandhad been sleeping on the streets near Sacred Heart Churchfor days. Discarded belongings following US Border Patrol’s raid on migrants sleeping on the streets of El Paso.James Keivom for NY Post A migrant family’s makeshift home of sheets and blankets, with all their possessions piled up next to itJames Keivom for NY Post
As Border Patrol continued taking migrants into custody Wednesday, churchvolunteers hurriedly ushered people onto its property and out of the reach from agents, as houses of worship are considered off limits.
“I need you to take your child, and come with me,” said a volunteer to a group of migrants, adding, “There are more vans coming to take you away.”
A pregnant migrant woman sobbed as she rushed to squeeze into a long, narrow gated area with others who are in the US illegally. Migrants line the sidewalk outside Sacred Heart church in El Paso, Texas.James Keivom for NY Post
“There’s no space left inside the church it’s filled withwomen and children, so we’re just standing out here and could be deported at anytime. All we can do is run if they try to get us,” a Venezuelan migrant, who only wanted to be identifiedas Johnny becausehe is in the US illegally, told The Post.
El Paso has seen an increase in migrant crossings since the last week of December whenTitle 42 was extended, allowing the US to keep asylum-seekers from certain countries out of the US.
The Post witnessed a number of migrants missing from spots where they had been sleeping near the house of worship Wednesday morning. A Honduran couple with several young children were gone, their few belongings discarded on the sidewalk. Sacred Heart Catholic Church opened its doors to migrants at the end of December.James Keivom for NY Post Migrant tents in the El Paso streets, with their inhabitants wrapped up against the coldJames Keivom for NY Post
Other migrants told The Post “immigration officials” plucked people off the streets at night as they were sleeping Tuesday night.
A statement from Border Patrol said patrolling the neighborhood is part of its regular enforcement strategy.
“In response to migrants evading apprehension, the United States Border Patrol has increased the number of agents patrolling the area,” the agency told The Post. An alley between the church and its gym has become a place where many have camped out James Keivom for NY Post
Border Patrol checkpoints have become another focal point, as illegal immigrants are increasingly trying to leave West Texas by riding further into the country aboard commercial buses.
At least 16 commercial buses with 178 immigrants were stopped this weekend alone. Hundreds more have been apprehended at checkpoints in recent days.
The sixth largest city in Texasdeclared a state of emergencyin December after being overwhelmed with migrants, both illegal and legal, who are escaping failing states south of Mexico since August.
Border Patrol Checkpoints are invaluable to our border security mission. The men & women of the #ElPaso sector work tirelessly to protect our Nations borders as they continue to intercept large #s of migrants illegally in the U.S. & seize significant quantities of narcotics. pic.twitter.com/rHyNeHg1Hi— Peter Jaquez (@USBPChiefEPT) January 4, 2023
Those with nowhere to go hunkered down for another long night on the streets Wednesday, with many unsure if they would still be in the US by morning.
