ABC-7 Xtra: El Paso County Judge speaks on current migrant surge
EL PASO, Texas -- County Judge Ricardo Samaniego sits down with ABC-7 to discuss the current migrant surge across the Borderland.
Samaniego says Border Patrol is apprehending about 2,000 migrants per day, adding that if Title 42 is lifted -- the pandemic related health order than expels migrants -- then the situation could turn chaotic.
However, many asylum seekers are coming from Venezuela which does not fall under that order.
The city is working on moving them as quickly as they can to their next destination at their welcome center which processes about 300 people per day. The city busses them other cities like New York or Chicago.
The county is working to get their processing center open near the airport-- which will help about 600 migrants get to the sponsors here in the U.S..
FEMA has already approved $2 million for both the city and the county to use during this time.
The city has already spent about $300,000 a day according to a statement from several city representatives.
Judge Samaniego also says, according to the commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. migrants could soon be taken to cities in South Dakota which will alleviate some of the stress of other sanctuary cities like New York.
