Dylan Torres Reyes, age 21, has spent the last three nights shivering on the street in front of El Paso’s main bus station.
“I’ve only got this tiny blue hooded jacket,” he told, indicating the small blue hooded jacket he is wearing. It has been difficult to sleep in this state.
Mr. Reyes, who is Venezuelan, is not alone. Around him, dozens of other migrants were huddled in small groups within two blocks of the central area of El Paso, including women and young children forced to sleep outside in subzero conditions.
They represent a small portion of the swelling number of migrants, which local officials and humanitarian organizations believe they are unable to accommodate. In addition to many Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, there are also people from other Latin American nations.
Most, like Mr. Reyes, are awaiting a chance to go to other parts of the United States to be reunited with family after a grueling and perilous trek to the border.
I wish to see Chicago…
I have no notion how I will reach my destination. I’m attempting to acquire bus tickets, but I don’t know how “he said.
He noted that the frigid evenings and uncertainties pale in comparison to the difficulties he has encountered over the past few months, which have included a walk through the forest in which several colleagues perished and mistreatment at the hands of unscrupulous police officials who attempted to extort him.
“I am delighted to be here. Excellent care has been provided here “he said. It has been extremely, extremely cold.
What is the status of Title 42?
Even as El Paso grapples with a growing humanitarian catastrophe, officials and NGOs are concerned that they may not be able to handle a new inflow of migrants and asylum seekers due to the impending end of a Trump-era program.
Title 42 gives the government the authority to automatically deport unauthorized immigrants. It has prevented tens of thousands of individuals from reaching the US-Mexico border.
The policy was set to expire on 21 December, but the Supreme Court has granted a temporary respite.
On Monday, Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily halted the policy’s termination pending a decision on an emergency appeal from some Republican-led states requesting that the provision be maintained.
Tuesday, the Biden administration urged the Supreme Court to disregard the Republican-led petition to maintain Title 42, stating that it can no longer be justified. In addition, the government asked the court to prolong the expiration date until at least December 27 to prepare for an inflow of refugees.
If the government obtains its desired outcome, the policy will expire on December 27.
However, the court’s intervention has had little effect on El Paso’s streets, where shelters and humanitarian services are already at capacity.
While city officials claim they are doing their best to assist with housing and transporting refugees released daily by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the escalating number of migrants has strained available resources. In the week ending December 18 alone, almost 10,300 migrants were released into the city, an increase from the previous week’s total of approximately 8,000.
Federal and local officials predict that if Title 42 were repealed, the number of daily migrant detentions would increase from 1,500 to between 4,000 and 6,000, a level that the city could not handle with its current resources.
“It is not feasible. The shelters and community activities are at capacity “The executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, Fernando Garcia told. “We are currently facing an issue.”
“We cannot wait to see if Title 42 is repealed,” he continued. “At this very moment, there are El Paso residents on the streets. Children and women without winter clothing, food, water, or money to travel to relatives.”
Condition of emergency
El Paso’s Democratic mayor, Oscar Leeser, proclaimed a seven-day state of emergency on Sunday, stating that it would provide local authorities with the resources necessary to deal with an influx of migrants sleeping on the city’s streets.
“We wanted to ensure that individuals are treated with respect,” he told reporters. We wish to ensure everyone’s safety.
Mr. Leeser said that the city’s shelters were already full, with an estimated 20,000 additional migrants poised to cross the border into the United States.
Mr. Leeser stated that city officials were still developing emergency measures, such as transforming huge buildings into impromptu shelters and chartering buses to assist in transporting migrants to other Texas communities, to be “prepared for whatever comes through.”
The majority of the day-to-day task of aiding the migrants, however, has fallen to a small number of NGOs and activist organizations.
The El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank is one such organization that has been feeding dozens of migrants at a time in several local sites.
“This is unquestionably a humanitarian issue,” said chief executive Susan Goodell. “The amount of immigrants residing in our town is astounding. I have never seen such numbers before.”
Ms. Goodell stated that her organization has been able to manage the number of migrants thus far, but that it is trying to keep up and has had to seek assistance from organizations in other parts of the United States.
A helping hand from the community
Some downtown and nearby residents of El Paso told that the influx of migrants has been unavoidable in recent days. Some residents recounted continual nighttime noise, packed bus terminals, and waking up to discover strangers sleeping next to their vehicles or homes.
Nearly a fifth of the area’s population is foreign-born, and many locals have voiced compassion for the refugees’ suffering.
“They are merely attempting to improve their life. If you were in their place, you would seek freedom or employment in the United States “Mark Casavantes, a lifelong El Paso resident who lives mere blocks from the Mexican border, stated as much. “They are peaceful and considerate individuals. They have not caused any issues.”
Sue Dickson, a volunteer at Annunciation House, a shelter for migrants in El Paso, stated that “more minds would be opened” if people experienced the day-to-day realities of the migrant crisis in this city.
“These are desperate people who require asylum and must flee violence and political oppression,” she said. They are seeking shelter here.
Repeatedly, federal officials have stated that the government, specifically the Department of Homeland Security, is preparing for the probable repeal of Title 42.
Humanitarian workers in El Paso are divided on whether lifting Title 42 will result in the quick rise predicted by some lawmakers, with many emphasizing that dramatic mass crossings are an exception.
However, the possibility of more surges has made many individuals apprehensive.
Ms. Goodell stated, “The anticipated numbers make us very anxious.” We are preparing as well as possible.
