A caravan of more than 1,000 migrants crossed illegally into El Paso, Texas, Wednesday as chaos erupted in recent days on the Mexican side in Juarez.
Agents apprehended the group, which was mostly comprised of Venezuelans, Wednesday, El Paso Border Patrol Chief Anthony Good said late Thursday. The incident follows chaos in Juarez, where nearly 40 migrants died Monday in a shelter fire.
Hundreds of migrants also amassed at the Paso del Norte bridge on March 15 leading into Juarez to demand entry into the U.S.
Venezuelans are expelled under Title 42, a public health order invoked by the Trump administration during COVID-19. They are, however, offered exemptions through a humanitarian parole program and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One, a phone app used to request an entry interview.
Migrants have expressed frustrations with the CBP One process having glitches and lacking appointment availability.
“Migrants that are still arriving at the southern border from the original surge invitation by the president are becoming impatient with extended processing times and turning frustrations against CBP personnel,” a Border Patrol agent, who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, recently told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
