Border Patrol, ICE target El Paso for immigration enforcement

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, began a “targeted enforcement operation” on Tuesday in El Paso, Texas, the Department of Homeland Security said. The National Border Patrol Council, a union for Border Patrol agents, said the DHS news release could have warned “dangerous people” of the enforcement activity. CBP officials expect a surge in migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border after the pandemic-era border crossing rule, Title 42, ends Thursday.

Why is the operation in El Paso? El Paso officials said there were more than 3,000 migrants camped out in the city. Earlier this month, Mayor Oscar Leeser said he expected about 15,000 more migrants to make their way into El Paso from the neighboring Mexican city of Juárez. Leeser declared a state of emergency on May 1 in anticipation of the influx. The declaration allows El Paso to open up temporary shelters. 

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno and Addie Offereins’ report in Compassion on Border Patrol agents preparing for a migrant tidal wave.