Samuel Case, FISM News
This week images and video emerged of thousands of migrants under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, highlighting the ongoing border crisis. Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano said the number of migrants had increased by 2,000 in less than 24 hours, in a situation that has been growing worse for over a week. Currently the number of those seeking entry is estimated to be over 10,000. A majority of the migrants originate from Haiti, as the nation has been racked by natural disasters and political turmoil.
Fox News drone footage showed thousands of migrants packed under the bridge, some sleeping in tents, while most were limited to blankets, piles of clothes, or the bridge itself for shelter. On Thursday evening the Federal Aviation Administration issued a two-week flight restriction in the city for “special security reasons,” tweeted Fox reporter Bill Melguin.
BREAKING: Our drone is back over the international bridge in Del Rio, TX. Per source, the number of migrants waiting to be processed has now swelled to approx 8,200. It was 4,000 yesterday AM. Doubled in one day. BP overwhelmed, & I’m told situation is “out of control” @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ThJJJ0JWCT
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 16, 2021
“The Border Patrol requested the temporary flight restriction due to drones interfering with law enforcement flights on the border. As with any temporary flight restriction, media is able to call the FAA to make requests to operate in the area,” the FAA said.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz filmed himself at the bridge on Thursday, attacking the Biden administration for creating a “man-made crisis.” The Senator blamed Biden’s decision to stop deportation flights to Haiti, saying that the President could end the situation tomorrow by reinstituting the flights. “This is not humane, this is not compassionate,” Cruz said in the video, “this is lawless and it is inviting suffering.”
I am on the ground in Del Rio, Texas tonight. As of this moment, there are 10,503 illegal aliens under the Del Rio International Bridge.
This manmade disaster was caused by Joe Biden. #BidenBorderCrisis pic.twitter.com/VpzkrH1zyb
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 17, 2021
Texas Governor Greg Abbott took action on Thursday by shutting down “six points of entry along the southern border” to stop caravans of migrants entering the state.
“The border crisis is so dire that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting our help as their agents are overwhelmed by the chaos. Unlike President Biden, the State of Texas remains committed to securing our border and protecting Americans,” Abbott said in a statement.
However, according to Abbott, six hours after the CBP requested help the Biden administration “flip flopped to a strategy that abandons border security and instead makes it easier for people to cross illegally and for cartels to exploit the border.”
Since Biden took office, border encounters have increased to levels not seen in over two decades. The latest numbers from Wednesday’s border patrol report show that there were 208,887 migrant encounters at the border last month, making August the second month in a row that surpassed 200,000. Encounters are up 300% from August of 2020.