City of El Paso likely to receive virus testing kits for possible migrant surge

EL PASO, Texas -- As the number of undocumented immigrants arriving at the border continues to climb, El Paso city officials are crafting a plan to deal with the expected influx of migrants who could be released into the community for a few days before they move into other parts of the country. 

The Biden Administration announced Friday that it plans to allow an estimated 25,000 asylum-seekers waiting for their court hearings into the U.S. from Mexico staring Feb. 19. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to start allowing about 300 people per day at two border crossings and a third crossing will allow fewer. The administration did not name the crossings 

This move becomes another major step against the Former President Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy. 

The city has faced this situation before, but now a pandemic and asymptomatic infections add a level of concern not present in the crisis of 2019.

The city's Office of Emergency Management said it is working with “federal partners, local stakeholders and communities groups” coordinating for a potential surge. 

Exacerbating the concerns, the lack of testing of migrants by federal agencies before or as they are being released.

According to Deputy City Manager Tracy Jerome, the state of Texas has “reached out” and provided “some” testing support which include rapid testing materials.

Jerome said it’s up to the Office of Emergency Management to decide how these testing kits will be distributed.

Deputy Chief Jorge Roriguez with the OEM said the department has been working with local migrant shelter shelter groups, training them on how to use the rapid tests. 

ABC-7 reached out to the Texas Department of Emergency Management but has not yet received a response.

El Paso City manager Tommy Gonzalez told ABC-7 that transportation preparations are also being finalized. The potential migrant surge will also add to the city's financial challenges brought on by the pandemic, but Gonzalez said “the plans we put in place, were to give us the ability to redirect these funds.” 

“If we don't get federal funds and federal assistance, we'll have to step up and do what we need to in order to help as much as we can. So that is something we're planning for right now,” he explained.

El Paso's City/County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza recently told ABC-7 that the city is already evaluating the challenges another immigrant surge in a pandemic will bring.

"It will be a health concern to have people in a congregate setting, that includes correctional facilities, detention facilities etc., and that has been one of the concerns not only for Covid but also influenza and some other infectious diseases," he said.

The city of El Paso announced hours after newly-sworn in President Biden signed executive orders relaxing immigration policies that it was activating the OEM to assist with "transportation, temporary housing, and safety and security support" as needed.

Politicians and lawmakers see the urgency of the policy changes --and their impact-- differently, as expressed on ABC-7 Xtra in late January.

El Paso's Democratic Congresswoman Veronica Escobar says human rights will return to the nation’s immigration policy once Biden fully overturns Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocols, grants protection for dreamers under the DACA program and halts construction of the border wall.

On the other hand, former congressman and now New Mexico GOP chairman Steve Pearce says the lifting of immigration policies will only trigger another migrant surge, which is not to the advantage of an already struggling U.S. economy at a time when it is trying to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.