Mayor Margo: 2008 law by Bush triggered surge in Central American migrants

El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said Thursday a law passed in 2008 has led to the immigration surge we are seeing at our borders, overwhelming Customs and Border Protection and Border Patrol agents.

The law Margo is referring to is the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Re-authorization Act of 2008, signed into law by then President George W. Bush.

The goal of the law was to protect unaccompanied minors crossing through Mexico from falling into the hands of human traffickers.

Margo told ABC-7 that law created a loophole which makes it easier for immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala to enter the U.S. and claim political asylum.

“We opened the border, which made it very easy to claim asylum,” said Margo.

Immigration lawyers disagree with Margo, arguing the law has nothing to do with the surge. The lawyers maintain horrible living conditions in those Central American countries is what triggered the surge.

While in El Paso last month, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan said our country’s immigration system is at a breaking point, with unprecedented numbers of immigrants arriving at our border.

According to McAleenan, a record number of immigrants from Central America presented themselves to Border Patrol agents, possibly as many as 100,000 immigrants in the month of March alone. The vast majority are claiming political asylum and presenting a credible fear of returning to their countries of origin.

ABC-7 cameras have captured the moment CBP officers turned migrants seeking political asylum away, claiming government holding facilities are filled to capacity.

Immigrants are opting to cross the natural border, the Rio Grande River, and wait at the border barrier for Border Patrol agents to pick them up.

Once on U.S. soil, immigrants, by law, have a right to surrender to Border Patrol agents and claim asylum.

The border barrier is on U.S soil, yards away from the Rio Grande, the true international border between Mexico and the U.S.

Mayor Margo says legislators must act to change immigration laws to stem the surge.