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.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
El Paso declares state of emergency as US-Mexico border crossings surge: 'Not safe'Officials in the City of El Paso, Texas have declared a state of emergency as border crossings have overwhelmed law enforcement personnel.
Mayor Oscar Leeser announced the state of emergency during a press conference Saturday, saying he could no longer keep residents safe.
"I said from the beginning that I would call it when I felt that either our asylum seekers or community were not safe," Leeser said, according to KFOX14.
El Paso, a town located along the U.S.-Mexico border, continues to witness an influx of migrants into its community....
From the Left
El Paso mayor declares state of emergency in response to migrant surgeEl Paso, Texas, Mayor Oscar Leeser declared a state of emergency on Saturday evening following a surge of migrants who have recently arrived in the community and he says are living in unsafe conditions.
The mayor, who had previously declined to issue a state of emergency, said “hundreds” of migrants are on the streets in unsafe conditions while temperatures are beginning to drop, and things could get much worse when a Trump-era border policy is lifted Wednesday, which federal officials expect will lead to an increase in migrant arrivals.
“We...
From the Center
El Paso mayor declares state of emergency over influx of migrants from Mexico borderThe mayor of the Texas border city of El Paso declared a state of emergency on Saturday, citing the hundreds of migrants sleeping on the streets in cold temperatures and the thousands being apprehended every day.
Mayor Oscar Leeser, a Democrat, said the emergency declaration would give city authorities the resources and ability to shelter migrants who have crossed the Mexican border.
"We wanted to make sure people are treated with dignity. We want to make sure everyone is safe," Leeser told reporters.
The move comes as El Paso, a...
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