Texas and California persist in their border security measures amid the continued challenges posed by migrant influxes. Despite a reduction, the pressure on the southern border remains significant. Recent report highlights the difficulties faced by residents in California’s southern cities, where local authorities are stretched thin financially, leading to the closure of at least one migrant shelter. Additionally, local healthcare facilities are under strain with treating growing number of migrants who fell off the border while trying to get into the country.
The Texas border crisis
In a recent post on X, the social media network formerly known as Twitter, Texas Gov. Greg Abbot reaffirmed the state’s dedication to maintaining border security until the federal government and the Biden administration take further action to curb illegal immigration. Abbott highlighted Texas’s strategy of transporting over 100,000 migrants to sanctuary cities nationwide, a practice he indicated would persist.
The crisis in California is getting out hand
In the last week, more than two dozen individuals required medical attention after trying to scale the 30-foot border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, as reported by emergency services. The weekend saw a significant number of incidents, with emergency personnel treating eight migrants on Saturday and another eight on Sunday. A total of 26 migrants, who attempted to bypass the formal entry process by climbing the wall, suffered injuries, according to San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond. San Diego Fire-Rescue teams were called into action last Saturday to assist ten migrants, including families with young children, in need of medical care, as covered by a news outlet.
“In the past 16 days, migrants just being dropped off at the Iris Avenue station is over 11,000. Since September that’s about 108,000 people just dropped off here in the streets in San Diego County,” San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said in an interview to FOX 5 on Sunday. Then he described the current situation at the border as “unsustainable.”
On Wednesday, in another post on X, Desmond addressed the border crisis and asked for border closure. “The current situation at the border is a national security threat. We cannot allow people into the country who want to cause harm to our community. We must shut the border down,” he posted, while sharing a news article from Washington Examiner with a headline “FBI Director Wray warns of ‘wide array’ of dangerous threats stemming from border.”
The broader picture
In 2023, the number of people that arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border was the highest than ever before. By the end of the year, the number hit a new high, with almost 250,000 people meeting U.S. Border Patrol agents in December alone. This surge came from people waiting during lockdowns and more people moving from poor to rich countries. This situation has been tough for President Joe Biden, especially with the upcoming election.
In January, border encounters totaled 176,205. The influx of single adults decreased by 35%, while unaccompanied minors saw a 37% reduction. Despite the reduction in arrivals during January, immigration remains a significant issue and most probably the main top in the presidential campaign for the upcoming November election.
Escalating situation
“It’s not a humane process, it’s inhumane. I think people should be able to immigrate to this country with dignity, come in with pride, with their heads held high, instead of coming in under a fence, over a fence, through a fence or unfortunately we’ve had people thrown over the fence or dropping over the fence and going to our hospitals,” Desmond added on Sunday.
Asylum claims
Migrants who unlawfully scale the U.S.-Mexico border wall are processed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and subsequently receive a court date to present their asylum claims. Prior to their court appearance, these individuals are transported to transit stations, where they have the option to remain or travel to another city within the U.S.
