A Mexican cartel drone incursion in the border city of El Paso, Texas, forced a temporary shutdown by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday.
While the southern border is seeing record-low illegal crossings since President Donald Trump&#8217;s return to the White House, cartels still lurk, finding new ways to threaten the United States.
Several cartels operate in Chihuahua, which borders El Paso, and for years, profited off of the open border under the Biden administration, where human smuggling became their largest source of income.
Robert Beltran, a constable in Hudspeth County, which neighbors El Paso, told The Daily Wire that the Mexican cartels are now desperate to find new ways &#8220;to move narcotics and contraband&#8221; by air since the &#8220;land and sea has been blocked off.&#8221;
Weeks after Trump&#8217;s second inauguration, federal agents received a warning that cartels in Mexico were employing suicide drones.
“On February 1, 2025, the El Paso Sector Intelligence and Operations Center (EPT-IOC) received information advising that Mexican cartel leaders have authorized the deployment of drones equipped with explosives to be used against US Border Patrol agents and US military personnel currently working along the border with Mexico,” the internal memo titled “Officer Safety Alert” said.
“It is recommended that all US Border Patrol agents and DoD [Department of Defense] personnel working along the border report any sighting of drones to their respective leadership staff and the EPT-IOC,&#8221; the memo continued.
Last week, in nearby New Mexico, law enforcement officials from both sides of the border came together to discuss ways to counter the cartels&#8217; increasing use of drones, <a href="https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/border-crime/cartel-drones-coming-over-the-border-worry-new-mexico-officials/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Border Report.
“What we are doing here today is making it possible for Chihuahua and New Mexico to be more safe and secure,” Chihuahua Public Safety Secretary Gilberto Loya said at a news conference following the meeting. “To that end, we have started today a structural collaboration to tackle these emerging issues and crimes.”
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The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion.
The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.
The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming. <a href="https://t.co/xQA1cMy7l0">https://t.co/xQA1cMy7l0</a>
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/2021594420806639787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In Mexico, cartels have deployed drones in recent years to carry out assassinations.
Cartels sent bomb-dropping drones into the central Mexican state of Michoacán, killing Mexican soldiers operating in the area in 2024.
Last year, a Mexican army officer, a soldier, and a police officer were <a href="https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/border-crime/cartels-unleash-drone-attacks-on-mexican-soldiers-in-chihuahua/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">injured</a> after a cartel drone dropped explosives on them in Chihuahua.
“We’ve had a pair of incidents in which members of organized crime are using drones with explosives to hinder our personnel on the ground,” Chihuahua state police Chief of Staff Luis Aguirre said at the time. “There is a strong presence by the Ministry of Defense and we are making substantial advances.”
The FAA initially instituted a 10-day airspace closure of the El Paso airport on Wednesday, citing &#8220;special security reasons.&#8221; That closure has since been reversed.
&#8220;Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace,&#8221; a Trump administration official told The Daily Wire, adding that the Department of War immediately acted &#8220;to disable the drones.&#8221;
&#8220;The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel,&#8221; the official said.
About 15 miles from El Paso, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, similar <a href="https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2234" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restrictions</a> were put in place.

US-MEXICO-BORDER-SECURITY

Cartel Drones That Forced U.S. Airspace Shutdown Underscore Ongoing Threat From Mexico

Mexican Cartel Drones 'Breached' Border, Forcing Shutdown Of U.S. Airspace

Drones

El Paso

Mexico

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a previous order on Wednesday that had grounded all flights departing El Paso International Airport in Texas for ten days due to “special security reasons.&#8221;
The White House told The Daily Wire shortly after the reversal that the move was related to drug cartels.
&#8220;Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones,&#8221; the White House said. &#8220;The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.&#8221;
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NEW: Administration official tells <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> that the FAA temporarily grounded all flights over El Paso because “Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace.”
“The Department of War took action to disable the drones,” the official said. “The FAA and DOW have determined there…
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2021594743180828908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Similar <a href="https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2234">restrictions</a> were put in place for Santa Teresa, New Mexico, about 15 miles away from El Paso. El Paso, which borders Mexico, is a city of around 678,000 people. 
&#8220;The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted. There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal,&#8221; the FAA announced Wednesday morning, just a few hours after announcing flights would be grounded for ten days. The airport handles up to 100 flights daily.
The <a href="https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2233">notice</a> from the FAA put in place flight restrictions for a 10-mile radius around El Paso. Planes flying above 18,000 feet would have been allowed to fly over, but the limitations did not extend into Mexican airspace. 
After the initial grounding was announced, Democrat Rep. Veronica Escobar, whose district includes El Paso, <a href="https://x.com/RepEscobar">called</a> for the FAA to lift the restrictions. 
“The highly consequential decision by FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community,” she said. “From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.”
After the restrictions were lifted, Escobar said there were no safety concerns.
&#8220;The FAA is rightfully lifting the Temporary Restricted Airspace. I will again reiterate there is no threat to El Paso or the surrounding areas,&#8221; she said.
State Senator Cesar Blanco, a Democrat, said his office was contacting multiple agencies to understand the justification for the temporary grounding. 
“Actions like this are taken out of an abundance of caution to protect our community. I encourage everyone to remain calm and patient as we await further information. We will share updates as they become available,” he said. 
&nbsp;

El Paso International Airport

White House Responds After Taking Out Mexican Cartel Drones In U.S. Airspace

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

National Security

Southern Border

Texas

On Easter Sunday a magistrate judge in El Paso, Texas, ordered the release of migrants who were charged with rioting after a large group <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-mob-of-military-aged-illegal-aliens-storm-past-troops-on-border">stormed the border</a>, tearing down razor wire and clashing with members of the Texas National Guard in the process.
Presiding Magistrate Judge Humberto Acosta delivered the ruling after accusing the El Paso District Attorney&#8217;s office of failing to prepare properly and thus not being ready and &#8220;not being ready to proceed with detention hearings for each defendant,&#8221; The El Paso Times <a href="https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/immigration/2024/03/31/el-paso-border-riot-judge-orders-migrants-release/73161289007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Sunday.
&#8220;It is the ruling of the court is that all the rioting participation cases will be released on their own recognizance,&#8221; Acosta said, but court officials did confirm that any defendants who were subject to previously-ordered federal immigration holds would not be released under that order.
The group of illegal immigrants released pursuant to Sunday&#8217;s ruling only represented some of the more than 70 who were arrested after the border breach – which was perpetrated by a large group of mostly young men from Venezuela on March 21 — and another hearing for other involved defendants is scheduled to take place on Monday.
The breach occurred at &#8220;Border Safety Initiative Marker No. 36 in the Riverside area of El Paso&#8217;s Lower Valley,&#8221; the Times reported, and those involved tore down razor wire before crashing through the fence.
Some of the defendants were also charged with assault and criminal mischief after clashing with members of the National Guard, and the Times said it was &#8220;unclear&#8221; whether Judge Acosta intended for those defendants to be released as well as those whose sole charge was &#8220;riot participation.&#8221;
Border Patrol Chief <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jason-owens-border-patrol-southern-border-national-security-threat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Owens</a> recently sat down with CBS News&#8217; Camilo Montoya-Galvez to discuss the situation, which he called a definite &#8220;national security threat.&#8221;
&#8220;What&#8217;s keeping me up at night is the 140,000 known got-aways,&#8221; Owens said. &#8220;Why are they risking their lives and crossing in areas where we can&#8217;t get to? Why are they hiding? What do they have to hide? What are they bringing in? What is their intent? Where are they coming from? We simply don&#8217;t know the answers to those questions. Those things for us are what represent the threat to our communities.&#8221;

Migrant crisis continues at US-Mexico border

El Paso Judge Orders Release Of Migrants Who Stormed Texas Border

Border Crisis

Courts

Illegal Immigration

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> has reportedly arrested another 70 of the migrants who stormed the El Paso border and assaulted National Guard members earlier this month.
The 70 migrants have been arrested on misdemeanor rioting charges related to the March 21 incident, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/29/us-news/texas-arrests-70-more-migrants-who-stormed-el-paso-border-source/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Friday.
The violent incident was caught on video, which shows a large group of adult male migrants tearing down fences with razor wire and pushing up against several National Guardsmen, eventually overwhelming them and rushing up to a tall border wall.
Texas had already charged nine migrants on Wednesday who were allegedly involved in the assault. They face charges of inciting a riot, damaging property over $2,500, and assault on members of the National Guard.
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NEW: Texas has arrested 70 more migrants who rioted at the southern border in El Paso, Texas and assaulted National Guard troops. 
Glad to see someone is taking action. 
Texas charged nine of the migrants on Wednesday involved in the riot. 
Knives and shanks were… <a href="https://t.co/LXgME5ivrX">pic.twitter.com/LXgME5ivrX</a>
&mdash; Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1773735562320683032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Earlier this week, Texas surged soldiers and resources to boost border security operations in El Paso.
We continue to reinforce existing border barriers and repel illegal crossings.
Texas will hold the line.
More: <a href="https://t.co/BmQv9or3HB">https://t.co/BmQv9or3HB</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZYaYm8uttz">pic.twitter.com/ZYaYm8uttz</a>
&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1773764728600371313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The first migrant to be charged was Junior Evaristo-Benitez, 21, of Honduras, who allegedly stepped on a National Guard soldier&#8217;s knee “purposefully and with malice.”
About 200 migrants are being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Texas reportedly wants to charge them all.
However, federal authorities “are not being as cooperative as Border Patrol,” an official reportedly told the Post.
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The majority of the migrants involved in the border rushing incident were men from Venezuela, <a href="https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/operation-lone-star-deploys-200-border-soldiers-to-el-paso-amidst-migrant-incidents-texas-border-migrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Just before the migrants rushed the border, National Guardsmen reportedly began directing the groups back toward Mexico, at which point they began to rush the soldiers.
One migrant allegedly tried to grab a soldier&#8217;s firearm. Knives and shanks were also later reportedly confiscated from some of the migrants.
In response to the migrants rushing the border, Governor Greg Abbott (R) <a href="https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/operation-lone-star-deploys-200-border-soldiers-to-el-paso-amidst-migrant-incidents-texas-border-migrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deployed</a> 200 tactical border force soldiers to El Paso, who arrived on Tuesday.
Texas also recently installed more border wire in El Paso.
The southern border has been in a state of crisis for years under the Biden administration.
Last year, 2.5 million migrants were apprehended crossing or trying to cross the southern border, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-border-mexico-chinese-migrants-60-minutes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The administration has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2024/02/11/trump-biden-immigration-border-compared/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> more than 2.3 million border crossers into the country since 2021.
Meanwhile, more than 96,000 “known gotaways,” migrants who were detected but not caught, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/over-96000-known-gotaways-at-southern-border-since-october-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> crossed the southern border just between October 1 and January.
The border crisis has resulted also in tens of thousands of migrants descending on major cities like New York City, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
New York City has seen more than 183,000 migrants show up since the spring of 2022. Chicago has seen more than 37,000 migrants. Both cities have spent tens of millions of dollars on food, shelter, and other migrant-related costs.

TX Appeals Court Puts Stay On SB4 Border Law After Supreme Court Allows It

Texas Arrests 70 More Migrants Who Stormed El Paso Border: Report

Texas Arrests 70 More Migrants Who Stormed El Paso Border

Border

Immigration

Migrants

U.S.

Many of the illegal immigrants who stormed the southern border on Thursday by breaking down razor wire and fencing before pushing into National Guard troops were reportedly processed and released into the United States after the incident. 
Video captured by New York Post reporter Jennie Taer showed hundreds of illegal immigrant men charging the border in El Paso, Texas, and appearing to assault National Guard troops. According to Taer, many of these men were processed by Border Patrol under <a href="https://www.heritage.org/immigration/commentary/why-the-end-title-42-means-the-end-secure-border">Title 8</a>, a measure that allows illegal immigrants to be released while their asylum claims make it through the courts. 
”This sends the message to people around the world that even if you act like this you can probably get into the country,” Taer said during an interview on Fox News. “And I think they continue to push these boundaries and to see what they can get away with and here they got away with some really, really scary stuff.”
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Wow: <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JennieSTaer</a> just confirmed to <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaPerino?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanaPerino</a> that many of these single adults who assaulted National Guardsmen and rushed the wall were later processed and released into the interior. <a href="https://t.co/7H0zfVMaRi">https://t.co/7H0zfVMaRi</a> <a href="https://t.co/tTHbcckTVx">pic.twitter.com/tTHbcckTVx</a>
&mdash; John Cooper (@thejcoop) <a href="https://twitter.com/thejcoop/status/1771162271718277503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) gave a brief update about the incident a few hours after video of the incident garnered millions of views online. Taer’s video of the incident had been viewed nearly 17 million times by Friday afternoon. 
“The TX National Guard &amp; Dept. of Public Safety quickly regained control &amp; are redoubling the razor wire barriers,” Abbott <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1770937320151064914">said</a>. “DPS is instructed to arrest every illegal immigrant involved for criminal trespass &amp; destruction of property.”
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Republicans responded to the video by calling on President Joe Biden to secure the border and said that Congress should not approve funding for the government while the crisis continued. Under Biden, illegal immigrants have crossed and been released into the United States in record numbers. 
“Republicans cannot approve government funding for the Biden administration to continue this disaster,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMikeLee/status/1770895369615872478">said</a>. “The future of our country is at stake.”
“Every American should watch this,” Sen. J.D. Vance <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance1/status/1770939066525098490">said</a>. “We shouldn’t fund Joe Biden’s government until he does something to address this. The power of the purse is our only leverage.”
“[Biden] and [DHS Secretary Mayorkas] won’t say this is a crisis, they’ll only say it’s a ‘challenge,’” Sen. Ron Johnson<a href="https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1770897090631049241"> said</a>. “No, Mr. President, this is an invasion, and you’re doing nothing to protect America.”

Illegal Immigrants Who Stormed National Guard Processed And Released Into United States By Border Patrol

Greg Abbott

JD Vance

Joe Biden

Mike Lee

Ron Johnson

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, a Democrat, has shipped nearly 180 busloads of migrants to sanctuary cities in less than a month since the city restarted its bussing program in September.
The city has moved more than 7,700 immigrants from the border town to Chicago, Denver, and New York City on 178 charter busses, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/texas/article-12646381/Democrat-mayor-El-Paso-sends-178-busloads-migrants-NYC-Chicago-Denver-despite-woke-outrage.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a>. Those immigrants are in addition to tens of thousands of others who have traveled to those cities on their own and through other bussing programs.
Texas’ bussing program has been <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/09/22/eric-adams-texas-tribune-festival/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denounced</a> by leaders in the recipient cities as “inhumane” and &#8220;un-American.” New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, has said that the number of immigrants from the southern border now staying in the city is threatening to break the city’s welfare system. New York City has already, at times, failed to abide by its legal obligation to provide shelter for all homeless staying within the city.
“Not only is this behavior morally bankrupt and devoid of any concern for the well-being of asylum seekers, but it is also impossible to ignore the fact that [Texas Governor Greg Abbott] is now targeting five cities run by Black mayors. Put plainly, Abbott is using this crisis to hurt Black-run cities,” Adams said in a <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/305-23/mayor-adams-on-governor-abbott-s-decision-resume-busing-asylum-seekers-five" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> in May.
El Paso’s Democratic leadership has evaded criticism from the Democrat-run sanctuary cities. Leeser’s office suggested that the lack of criticism directed at the mayor is due to El Paso working with the officials of recipient cities before the buses are loaded and sent.
“We will continue conversations with [Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson] and his team to ensure a coordinated and collaborative response among our cities to the humanitarian crisis we are facing,” Lesser chief of staff Estrella Escobar said, according to the Daily Mail.
Chicago Alderman Will Hall said of Leeser’s understanding about the impact of the immigration crisis on the city, “he gets it.”
“What we have shared with the mayor of El Paso is that there is no more room in Chicago. He gets it. What we have expressed is for whatever partners they have in Texas to help us in Chicago, which he is assigning now, and we started the conversations with the not-for-profits here to help us,” Hall told <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-migrants-aldermen-border-visit-el-paso-texas/13931653/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC 7</a>.
Texas has bussed over 58,000 immigrants, many of whom entered the United States illegally, to Democrat-run cities across the country. Abbott posted the latest numbers on the bussing program, part of his border security initiative Operation Lone Star, on Wednesday.
Abbott estimated that Texas had bussed over 12,500 immigrants to Washington, D.C., over 20,800 to New York City, over 16,100 to Chicago, over 3,200 to Philadelphia, over 4,400 to Denver, and over 1,000 to Los Angeles.
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Texas has bused over 58,000 migrants to sanctuary cities:
Over 12,500 to DC Over 20,800 to NYC Over 16,100 to Chicago Over 3,200 to Philadelphia Over 4,400 to Denver Over 1,000 to LA
Our border busing mission provides critical relief to overwhelmed Texas border communities.
&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1714712189599105255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Oscar Leeser

El Paso Sends Thousands Of Immigrants To Sanctuary Cities In New Round Of Bussing

The Democratic mayor of El Paso, Texas says the city has reached &#8220;a breaking point&#8221; with floods of migrants coming in every day and said the city chartered five buses to take migrants to New York, Chicago, and Denver over the weekend.
El Paso is seeing more than 2,000 migrants per day, pushing the border city&#8217;s shelters and resources past capacity. The new migrants are <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/el-paso-texas-at-breaking-point-migrants-flood-border-mayor-says-2023-09-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> mostly Venezuelans.
&#8220;The city of El Paso only has so many resources and we have come to &#8230; a breaking point right now,&#8221; Mayor Oscar Leeser, a Democrat, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/el-paso-texas-at-breaking-point-migrants-flood-border-mayor-says-2023-09-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at a press conference on Saturday.
El Paso chartered five buses to send migrants to New York, Chicago, and Denver on Saturday, Leeser said.
Previously, the Republican governors of Texas and Florida who sent migrants to blue cities were skewered by Democrats, who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/16/migrants-marthas-vineyard-desantis-biden-democrats-criticism#:~:text=Joe%20Biden%20has%20accused%20Ron,move%20is%20also%20under%20scrutiny." target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> them of “playing politics with people’s lives.”
However, El Paso&#8217;s mayor said the migrants his city put on buses were traveling voluntarily to the cities of their choice.
The migrant crisis at the border has been ramping up in recent weeks.
In August, there were nearly 233,000 migrant encounters at the southern border, the highest August on record, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/migrant-numbers-break-another-record-under-biden-southern-border-hit-new-surge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. That number marks a jump from under 184,000 encounters in July.
Last month&#8217;s numbers are also a significant rise from August a year ago, when there were only 204,000 migrant encounters. September&#8217;s numbers are already tens of thousands of encounters <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-california-border-asylum-seekers-314698bfb5644be8f8f6085ebe9b9b98" target="_blank" rel="noopener">higher</a> than last year as well.
Meanwhile, several major cities, particularly New York and Chicago, have been struggling with a migrant crisis as tens of thousands of newcomers show up on their doorstep.
New York City is struggling to metabolize <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/house-democrats-migrant-crisis-tour-interrupted-by-protesters-outside-roosevelt-hotel#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than</a> 113,000 migrants who have shown up in the city since last spring, nearly 60,000 of whom are still being housed on the city’s dime.
The city has already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-city-migrant-crisis-approaches-breaking-point-with-disorderly-migrants-shelter-space" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a> more than $1.2 billion on the migrants and is projected to spend up to $5 billion.
The situation has sparked tension between New York’s Democratic leaders and the Biden administration, with the governor and mayor calling for more federal help with the migrant crisis.
Biden’s Department of Homeland Security has since given New York City $140 million in federal funding to address the migrant crisis, but Mayor Eric Adams has said it would take more aid to get the situation under control.
Chicago is also facing a migrant crisis and is struggling to find long-term solutions. The country’s third-largest city has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/08/us/politics/gop-migrants-blue-cities.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seen</a> an influx of about 13,500 migrants recently and has already spent at least $250 million on the issue.
Mayor Brandon Johnson <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-migrants-news-migrant-plan/13752467/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailed</a> his plan for massive migrant tents earlier this month.
Last week, Chicago officials inked a $29.4 million deal with with a private security firm to build, staff, and operate the huge tents, which must be able to house between 250 and 1,400 migrants.
The federal government has already given Chicago and Illinois <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2023/5/5/23713285/chicago-state-of-illinois-get-8-5-million-in-federal-migrant-grants-asked-for-up-to-191-million" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least</a> $8.5 million for the migrant crisis.
In Denver, migrants have also arrived by the hundreds in recent weeks. Denver has <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2023/08/23/denver-increase-migrant-arrivals-august" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a> at least $23 million on recent migrant arrivals.

Migrants Wait On Mexican Side Of Border, Hoping For Entry Into United States

Democratic El Paso Mayor Charters Five Buses To Take Migrants To New York, Chicago, Denver

Biden

Biden Administration

Border Patrol

Customs and Border Protection (CPB)

A woman has been charged with murder after believing that her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/uber" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uber</a> driver was kidnapping her, according to police. 
Phoebe Copas, 48, has been charged with murder after police say she shot 52-year-old Daniel Piedra Garcia after wrongly believing that he was kidnapping her, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/el-paso" target="_blank" rel="noopener">El Paso</a> police said. 
“Phoebe Copas was originally booked for Aggravated Assault Causing Serious Bodily Injury. Daniel J. Piedra Garcia, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries and Crimes Against Persons Detectives obtained a warrant for Copas with a charge of Murder with a bond of $1,500,000 signed by Judge Aun,” El Paso police <a href="https://www.borderreport.com/regions/texas/woman-takes-photo-of-injured-uber-driver-before-calling-911-according-to-court-documents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. 
Investigators say that Copas shot Piedra during a trip to meet with her boyfriend at a casino. Police said that there was no evidence for the alleged kidnapping, but that Copas was frightened by signs that read “Juarez, Mexico,” KTSM reported.  
“At some point during the drive, Copas thought she was being taken into Mexico and shot Piedra,” police <a href="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article276656961.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “The investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ destination.”
Piedra, who was shot in the back of the head and wrist, was taken off life support this week after being shot on June 16. Copas is being held on a $1.5 million bond and is accused of texting her boyfriend an image of the wounded Garcia before calling the police. 
“On Friday June 16, 2023 my husband Daniel Piedra was working for Uber when his passenger shot him in the head. He is the sole provider for our family and was unable to work for a while because he hurt his knee at his last job and had to have surgery on April 18, 2023,” a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/daniel-piedra-garcia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> organized by Piedra’s wife says, adding that the money raised will go toward hospital and funeral expenses. 
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Piedra’s family was shocked by the news, saying that they couldn’t believe that he was the victim when they heard the news of the shooting. 
&#8220;I miss him and I wish this wouldn’t have happened to him,” <a href="https://people.com/uber-passenger-who-mistakenly-thought-she-was-being-kidnapped-shoots-driver-is-charged-with-murder-7552617" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> niece Didi Lopze. “He didn’t deserve that, no one deserves that.”
Uber <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/passenger-shot-killed-uber-driver-believed-was-taking-mexico-police-sa-rcna90901" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that it was horrified by the incident and that it would assist the investigation in any way possible.

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Woman Charged With Murder After Shooting Uber Driver She Thought Was Kidnapping Her: Police

Crime

Murder

Uber

Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales believes that instead of releasing migrants into the United States to wait years for a court date, President Joe Biden should instead send immigration judges to the border to more quickly determine whether or not they have legitimate asylum claims. 
Appearing on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” Gonzales <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that the current process of releasing migrants is insufficient because court dates can be as far out as eight years down the road while explaining that the majority of asylum seekers won’t qualify for asylum anyway. 
“The president should surge immigration judges to the border,” Gonzales told host Margaret Brennan when asked for an alternative to the current strategy. “That person should get their case heard in days, not years.” 
“Right now in El Paso, if you apply on the One App … your court date is 2031,” he added. “That’s eight years from now.” 
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Texas Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyGonzales4TX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TonyGonzales4TX</a> says the alternative to releasing migrants is that President Biden should &quot;surge&quot; immigration judges to the border and that migrants should get their case heard in days, not years. Adding, &quot; This is America. Get your day in court.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/c1drN3qgd0">pic.twitter.com/c1drN3qgd0</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1657765021235965953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Gonzales said Biden should have sent judges, not troops, to the border because &#8220;nine out of ten&#8221; migrants don’t qualify for asylum. Gonzales shared footage from an overcrowded Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility in El Paso, which he said shows the situation is worse than it’s being made out to be. 
“This is what I’m hearing on the ground from mayors, from border patrol agents, from embedded media, everyone is saying it’s not that bad,” Gonzales said, adding that he decided to take a look for himself. 
Gonzales said more than 6,000 migrants in the El Paso sector are currently in custody and that the facility he filmed is meant to hold 1,000 people – not the 3,000 he says it’s currently housing. Gonzales notes that one of the rooms was intended to hold 120 people but was holding more than 700. “This is what ‘not that bad’ looks like,” Gonzales said.
“We can’t allow ‘not that bad’ to be the normal,” he said, adding that a migrant child died in HHS custody last week. 
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NEW: Video courtesy of TX Congressman <a href="https://twitter.com/RepTonyGonzales?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepTonyGonzales</a> office shows significant overcrowding in Border Patrol’s Central Processing Center in El Paso, TX on Friday. He says they have a max capacity of around 1,000, but there were 6,000 that day. This room capacity 120, but had 750 <a href="https://t.co/4cdULVXXTO">pic.twitter.com/4cdULVXXTO</a>
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1657773232668147712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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His comments come after Title 42, the pandemic-era rule that allowed authorities to turn away migrants at the border based on public health grounds, ended on Thursday. According to the Border Patrol union, as of last week, CBP was holding <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-illegal-immigrants-surge-across-border-as-trump-era-rule-ends" target="_blank" rel="noopener">roughly</a> 28,000 illegal immigrants at detention facilities, a number beyond capacity, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/spike-us-mexico-border-crossings-fuels-political-tensions-title-42-ends-2023-05-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Reuters. 
Fox News <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-heads-to-beach-after-shattering-all-time-record-with-83000-illegal-aliens-storming-border-in-1-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">correspondent</a> Bill Melugin reported a “record setting” 83,000 illegal immigrants crossed the Southern Border last week alone.

Rep. Tony Gonzales

Texas Republican Urges Biden To ‘Surge’ Immigration Judges To Border

Congress

Politics

Title 42

Law enforcement is sweeping the streets of El Paso, Texas, for thousands of illegal immigrants camped in the city.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a press release on Monday evening announcing a “targeted enforcement operation” taking place in El Paso ahead of the repeal of Title 42, a Trump-era health order that has allowed border agents to immediately expel illegal aliens from the country.
“Immigration enforcement agents will process individuals for vetting and placement into Title 42 expulsion or Title 8 removal proceedings, as applicable,” CBP said, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/title-42-police-sweep-out-migrant-gotaways-el-paso" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Examiner</a>. “Noncitizens who pose a threat to national security or public safety will be transferred to ICE for detention.”
The operation comes as thousands more migrants are expected to cross the border from Mexico into El Paso after Title 42 is repealed. El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser previously estimated that up to 15,000 migrants could be in Ciudad Juárez, right across the border from El Paso, preparing to enter the U.S. when Title 42 expires on Thursday.
About 2,500 migrants are living on the streets of El Paso, according to the Examiner.
Some Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were reportedly frustrated with how the El Paso operation is being handled.
“I continue to hear from frustrated Border Patrol &amp; ICE contacts who are in disbelief that DHS/CBP announced in a press release last night that they were going to run an enforcement operation in El Paso today targeting gotaways/evaders camping on streets,” Fox News reporter Bill Melugin said. “Lost element of surprise.”
“They tell me you announce the RESULTS of an enforcement operation in a press release, not the PLAN. Our team on the ground in El Paso tell me much of the migrant population cleared out before the operation this morning, after the press release went out,” he added.
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They tell me you announce the RESULTS of an enforcement operation in a press release, not the PLAN. Our team on the ground in El Paso tell me much of the migrant population cleared out before the operation this morning, after the press release went out.
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1655934230197866497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Many federal immigrant holding facilities and NGO centers are already at capacity or overcrowded. Eight of nine sectors along the U.S. southern border are overwhelmed days before Title 42 is scheduled to expire, according to NewsNation’s Ali Bradley.
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NEW: There are more than 27,000 migrants in CBP capacity this morning according to sources. 
These are unprecedented numbers—8 of 9 sectors are overwhelmed and exceeding capacity. 
I’m told when capacity numbers hit 29,000 agents from the northern and coastal sectors will be… <a href="https://t.co/JyIkeswWiI">pic.twitter.com/JyIkeswWiI</a>
&mdash; Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AliBradleyTV/status/1655932953921454080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Immigration officials have seen a steady surge in illegal migration in the weeks leading up to Title 42’s expiration. Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz reported on Monday that Border Patrol averaged nearly 9,000 migrant apprehensions per day and tallied over 7,000 gotaways, illegal immigrants who were seen entering the U.S. but could not be apprehended.
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Past 72 Hours&#8230; &#8211; 26,382 Apprehensions &#8211; 7,399 Approx. Gotaways &#8211; 164 lbs. Marijuana &#8211; 83 lbs. Meth &#8211; 66 lbs. Cocaine &#8211; 11 lbs. Fentanyl &#8211; 5 lbs. Heroin &#8211; $12,200 Siezed &#8211; 1 Firearm &#8211; 3 Sex Offenders &#8211; 1 Wanted Felon &#8211; 1 Gang Member
Great work over the weekend! <a href="https://t.co/OsoEoulOO8">pic.twitter.com/OsoEoulOO8</a>
&mdash; Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) <a href="https://twitter.com/USBPChief/status/1655586360865046528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Law Enforcement To Clear Thousands Of Illegal Migrants From El Paso Streets As End Of Title 42 Looms

Law Enforcement To Clear Thousands Of Illegal Migrants From El Paso Streets

Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alejandro-mayorkas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alejandro Mayorkas</a> and other Biden administration officials are working to increase migration from Central America into the U.S., even as an expected surge of illegal crossings at the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/southern-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">southern border</a> is expected. 
Mayorkas, alongside USAID Administrator Samantha Power, <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/may-03-2023-joint-commitment-expand-equitable-access-labor-pathways-latin-america?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met with officials</a> from Spain and Canada to discuss increasing labor-related migration. As a result of the meeting, the U.S. committed to welcoming more migrants from Central America and providing technical support for “sending countries” to beef up their ability to facilitate migration. 
“The meeting focused on specific actions each country will take on expanding labor pathways that promote safe, orderly, humane, and regular migration, as well as to create economic and social opportunities and strengthen development options for the people of northern Central America and other countries in the Americas,” USAID spokeswoman Jessica Jennings said. 
After the meeting, U.S. officials said they were looking to increase the number of H-2 visas, which allows noncitizens to work in the U.S., by 25% for workers from Central America, meaning an increase in 25,000 workers. 
Another U.S. goal is to provide up to $65 million of taxpayer dollars to Central American nations “to operationalize a pilot grant program for agricultural employers to address labor instability and labor shortages.”
U.S. officials also hope to deter illegal immigration by making “labor migration opportunities more publicly visible, offering hope that alternatives to irregular movement exist.”
The meeting occurred as Title 42, a Trump-era public health order that allowed for the immediate expulsion of illegal immigrants, is set to end on May 11. With the end of the policy looming, border crossings remain high and are expected to increase. Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz <a href="https://twitter.com/USBPChief/status/1653095930084597761">said</a> on Monday that law enforcement made over 22,000 apprehensions at the southern border over a three-day period.
Mayorkas’ office <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/mayorkas-to-visit-us-mexico-border-ahead-of-title-42s-end/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> this week that he would visit the southern border on Thursday and Friday “to review CBP and ICE planning and response operations ahead of the lifting of the Title 42 public health Order.” 
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The Biden administration is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-sends-1500-troops-to-southern-border-ahead-of-expected-surge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also sending</a> 1,500 troops to the U.S. southern border. The troops will perform administrative and logistical functions, leaving law enforcement to Border Patrol but freeing up agents to actively police the border and apprehend migrants, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-administration-considers-sending-1500-us-troops-border-ahead-lifting-title-42-sources">Fox News</a>. 
Ahead of the expected surge, El Paso Democratic Mayor Oscar Leeser <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hg0Wlw-ZY0&amp;t=88s">declared</a> a state of emergency. 
“I literally went through the streets, looked at people camping out on the streets, went to the shelters and kind of assessed the amount of people that are getting prepared to come into the United States for asylum seeking,” Leeser said.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

DHS Secretary Mayorkas Testifies Before Senate Homeland Committee

Mayorkas Working To Expand Migration From Central America As Border Surge Anticipated

Alejandro Mayorkas

USAID

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden</a> administration will send 1,500 troops to the U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/southern-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">southern border</a> ahead of an expected surge in illegal crossings next week.
Title 42, a Trump-era public health order that allowed for the immediate expulsion of illegal immigrants, is set to be repealed on May 11. Title 42’s end is widely expected to bring a fresh cascade of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illegal-immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal migration</a>, with some predicting as many as 11,000 crossings a day.
The troops will perform administrative and logistical functions, leaving law enforcement to the Border Patrol, but freeing up border agents to actively police the border and apprehend migrants, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-administration-considers-sending-1500-us-troops-border-ahead-lifting-title-42-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>. The military personnel will <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_b043558a-440d-11ed-98b5-37b300fa8344.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">join</a> 2,500 National Guard troops already assisting at the border.
“For 90 days, these 1,500 military personnel will fill critical capability gaps, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support, until CBP can address these needs through contracted support,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told Fox News in a statement. “Military personnel will not directly participate in law enforcement activities. This deployment to the border is consistent with other forms of military support to DHS over many years.”
The Biden administration’s move to post military personnel at the border is reminiscent of an action taken by former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2018 midterm election. Trump ordered 5,200 active-duty troops to the border to help secure it against a caravan of migrants that, at the time, numbered 3,500 people.
Democrats at the time, including then-Sen. Kamala Harris (CA), <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/417703-2020-democrats-challenge-trumps-use-of-troops-at-mexico-border/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Trump’s troop surge to the border left them “deeply disturbed by the overt politicization of the military.”
Illegal immigration has surged to unprecedented levels since Biden was elected. On Monday, Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz <a href="https://twitter.com/USBPChief/status/1653095930084597761" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that law enforcement made over 22,000 apprehensions at the southern border over three days, or about 7,000 per day.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration was sending troops to make up for the lack of action taken by Congress to fix a broken border system.
“More work needs to be done,” said Jean-Pierre. “We put forth comprehensive immigration legislation, and Republicans in Congress refused to act, and so the president has used the tools he has in front of him to prepare ahead of Title 42 lifting.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DOOCY TIME: &quot;If the border is secure, as the administration has said, then why would we need to send 1,500 active-duty U.S. troops down there?&quot;
KJP: &quot;B/c we need more work. We need more&#8211;work needs to be done&#8230;Republicans refused to act&#8230;We are putting&#8230;forth processes&quot; <a href="https://t.co/BUflB1dKBn">pic.twitter.com/BUflB1dKBn</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1653470074865369111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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El Paso Democratic Mayor Oscar Leeser <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hg0Wlw-ZY0&amp;t=88s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> a state of emergency in his city ahead of Title 42’s end. El Paso already has illegal migrants sleeping on its streets as it prepares for a wave of migrants on the heels of Title 42’s repeal next week. During a press conference announcing the state of emergency, Leeser said he visited Juarez and saw migrants camping just across the U.S. border waiting for the health policy to end.
“I literally went through the streets, looked at people camping out on the streets, went to the shelters and kind of assessed the amount of people that are getting prepared to come into the United States for asylum seeking,” Leeser said.

Biden Administration Sends 1,500 Troops To Southern Border Ahead Of Expected Surge

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