EL PASO, Texas — A tense situation unfolded at the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday as a group of over 100 migrants attempted to enter the United States illegally by rushing a border wall in El Paso, Texas. The migrants broke through razor wire and knocked over guards in the process, as part of what officials are calling a “spring surge” of migrants hoping to gain access to the country.
Witnesses reported seeing around 600 migrants massed at the international border earlier in the day. The Texas National Guard attempted to organize the group into smaller, more manageable units, but tensions escalated when some women and children were separated from adult males by the guardsmen.
A group of men wearing hoodies, gloves, and winter jackets were seen pulling fencing away and dashing through the concertina wire, as a group of five guards stood their ground in a defensive formation to fill the gap. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the guardsmen firmly held their rifles and stood their ground in front of the migrants.
As the scene grew louder and more chaotic, some migrants raised their hands in surrender, while others scrambled through, knocking the guards out of the way. The group then ran to the border gate, shouting at guardsmen on the other side, with cries of “We have women and children, we’re hungry” and “Help, help, help, they’re kids.”
More members of the Texas National Guard quickly moved in to secure the area, with one guard yelling, “Get the f–k back,” as he tried to restore order. A source told reporters that the rowdy group was pushed back to Mexico, but some members were arrested, and the rest were brought into the U.S. for processing.
Despite the commotion, the city of El Paso’s migrant dashboard showed that 743 people had been released from custody and into the U.S. on Thursday, either on parole or to pursue asylum claims in accordance with President Biden’s current policies.
The incident has once again highlighted the ongoing crisis at the southern U.S. border, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office stating, “The surge today in El Paso is the direct result of the unsustainable chaos President Biden has unleashed on the border.” As authorities work to repair the damage and implement new measures to address illegal border crossings, the situation remains tense and unpredictable.
