Heavy law enforcement presence kept people in, out of South El Paso

While Pope Francis was making progress through Juarez followed by crowds and excitement, a very different set of circumstances were in place immediately across the border in South El Paso.

ABC-7 was set up on Loop 375 on Wednesday morning, directly across the border from the altar for the pope’s Mass and the celebration going on before he arrived at the Mass site. The music, chants and cheers could be heard clearly, along with a sense of the excitement of the gathered crowd, with outbursts coming for all the pope’s stops throughout Juarez as displayed on surrounding screens. But on the U.S. side of the border, it was a very different situation with a very heavy law enforcement presence.

ABC-7 crews saw helicopters from several different law enforcement agencies, at all different heights around the area circling continuously. In addition, a number of heavy police vehicles could be seen around the Segundo Barrio area, including a SWAT armored vehicle and van as well as a bomb squad vehicle.

Otherwise, the streets in the area were fairly deserted by residents. A few people did attempt to get as close to the border as possible, but police were only letting them up to Loop 375, but not across and not through the security cordons and heavy gates set up around the loop.

There was at least one thing on the U.S. side of the border imitating what’s going on on the Mexican side: an #ImmigrantLivesMatter sign set up on an old warehouse facing the border and Mass site.