Nearly 9 people have crossed the US border since Texan city of El Paso, in Mexico, in what is one of the highest arrival rates in recent months. This was reported by the broadcaster "Al Jazeera", quoting the mayor of El Paso Osca Leeser, according to which every day over 2 thousand people ask for asylum in the city, a figure that has exploded compared to the 350-400 applications six weeks ago. The mayor explained that in recent days his administration has collaborated with the United States Border Police in order to provide refuge to approximately 6.500 people, but he expressed strong concern about the impact that the flows are having on the territory and its resources. “The city of El Paso only has a certain amount of resources and we are at ... a breaking point right now,” Leeser said at a news conference. Lesser said El Paso plans to open a new migrant shelter and said five buses were chartered yesterday to take asylum seekers to New York, Chicago and Denver.
The asylum seekers mainly come from Venezuela, Honduras and Haiti. The number of arrivals in the United States had fallen sharply in recent months following the announcement of new restrictions in May, but flows have started to increase again, putting pressure on Joe Biden's government administration. The city of Eagle Pass has declared a state of emergency to deal with the influx of people, as Democratic mayors and governors seek more help to house asylum seekers. The topic is also at the center of the Republican Party's declarations and has once again become a point of debate in view of future presidential elections. As tensions rise in Texas, the Biden administration has sent 800 troops to the border, adding to the 2.500 National Guard members already there. The Biden administration also extended temporary legal status to approximately 472 Venezuelans who arrived in the United States as of July 31, making it easier for them to work in the country.
On Saturday, the US Secretary of the Interior Alexander Mayorkas met with Honduran President Xiomara Castro in the city of McAllen, Texas, to discuss a bilateral strategy to curb migration. Mayorkas has pledged to curb those who will not use legal immigration routes into the US and said Castro's leadership is key to disrupting smuggling networks. “Together, we are arresting and prosecuting traffickers, disrupting and dismantling their networks and seizing their assets and funds,” the minister said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). For his part, Castro argued that many are fleeing Honduras due to the violence exercised by criminal organizations. “I believe that in our history we have never seen an exodus of entire families from our country, seeking opportunity, due to the current levels of violence,” Castro told Mayorkas.
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