Shipping containers were placed along parts of the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday to discourage migrants from attempting to cross into the city, according to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“Texas is adding shipping containers to the US-Mexico border in El Paso,” Abbott tweeted on Wednesday. “This is in addition to the razor wire and National Guard. Together, the strategies are causing illegal immigration at that location to plummet.”
Texas is adding shipping containers to the US-Mexico border in El Paso.
This is in addition to the razor wire and National Guard.
Together, the strategies are causing illegal immigration at that location to plummet.https://t.co/YPTJlkca5m
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 29, 2022
The governor’s update on Twitter linked to a San Antonio Fox 29 report that featured photos and video footage from the makeshift barrier.
Border crossings in El Paso spiked in the weeks prior to the scheduled end of Title 42 on December 21. The policy allows Border Patrol to turn away migrants to help stop the spread of COVID.
The policy has been used more than 2.5 million times to expel migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. and to turn away migrants at the border, according to the Associated Press.
The city saw an average of 2,400 migrants per day entering over one seven-day period, leading the city to declare an emergency. The Texas National Guard sent personnel to help provide protection and safety in the area.
Title 42 was temporarily held in place by the Supreme Court. The court then ruled Tuesday that the policy will remain in place until the case is heard next year.
Customs and Border Protection officials warned lawmakers that approximately 50,000 foreigners were waiting to cross into the United States once Title 42 ended. The court’s move will keep the policy in place for now, with thousands of migrants gathered along the Mexican side of the border awaiting entry.
Abbott’s announcement also came shortly after he provided an update to announce that Texas has bused 15,900 migrants to sanctuary cities in 2022.
Abbott shared the update in a Twitter post with details on the number of migrants sent to each of the four included cities. The totals included over 8,900 migrants bused to Washington, D.C., over 4,900 to New York City, over 1,500 to Chicago, and over 690 to Philadelphia.
Texas has bused over 15,900 migrants to sanctuary cities:
▪️ Over 8,900 to DC
▪️ Over 4,900 to NYC
▪️ Over 1,500 to Chicago
▪️ Over 690 to PhiladelphiaAs Biden does nothing, Texas is taking unprecedented action to provide relief to our overwhelmed border communities.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 28, 2022
Texas is not the only state to use shipping containers to build a barrier along the southern border. Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey ordered double-stacked shipping containers to be lined across sections of his state’s border earlier this year to reduce migrant crossings.
Ducey was later sued by the Biden administration for placing the shipping containers on federal land. He agreed in December to remove the shipping containers on federal property.
The government of Arizona agreed to cease activity on National Forest System lands for “any purpose relating to installing shipping containers along the international border,” according to a court document.
Customs and Border Protection recorded 233,740 migrant encounters in November, the highest ever recorded for that month. The number was more than 30% higher than last November, which recorded 178,845 migrant encounters.
Many of the migrants recorded in November were from communist nations, the New York Post noted, including Cuba and Venezuela.