Headline RoundupDecember 19th, 2022

El Paso Mayor Declares State of Emergency Over Migrant Influx

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The city of El Paso, which sits along the US-Mexico border, declared a state of emergency this weekend over an influx of immigrants crossing the border.

For Context: Title 42, a Trump-era immigration policy enacted during the pandemic, is set to end on Wednesday under the order of a federal judge. Title 42, sometimes referred to as the ‘remain in Mexico’ policy, allows border agents to turn away immigrants looking to cross into the United States. According to the city, an average of 2,400 migrants are arriving at the El Paso section of the border each day. This number is expected to rise after Wednesday.

Key Quotes: El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser (D) explained the emergency declaration will help the city better care for the influx of people crossing into the city, stating, “our asylum-seekers are not safe as we have hundreds and hundreds on the streets and that’s not the way we want to treat people,” adding, “we wanted to make sure people are treated with dignity. We want to make sure everyone is safe.” Speaking on the upcoming end of Title 42, Leeser said, “we know that the influx on Wednesday will be incredible.”

How the Media Covered It: The declaration and immigration surge are being covered across the spectrum. Fox News attributed the emergency declaration to the mayor believing he could “no longer keep residents safe,” while CNN and Reuters focused on statements from the mayor about not being able to keep incoming migrants safe.

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