Trump administration to release 1,800 immigrants from detention in the next three days as overcrowding continues to threaten a federal crackdown on illegal entry to the U.S.
Shelters serving immigrants in El Paso, Texas say they’ve been notified that ICE officials will release up to 1,800 migrants over the course of three days
ICE officials couldn’t confirm estimates or provide a number, saying it would depend on how many were turned over by U.S. Customs and Border Protection
However, officials blame overcrowding and limited transportation resources for the move toward a ‘catch-and-release’ policy – which Trump has vowed to end
ICE released roughly 107,000 family members from December 21 – March 20
Officials said their arrests of people living in the U.S. have fallen because they’ve had to redirect resources to the ‘alarming rate’ of arrivals at the Southern border
By VALERIE BAUMAN
DAILYMAIL.COM
23 March 2019
Immigration and Customs Officials are expected to release as many as 1,800 migrants from custody in Texas over the next three days, according to shelter officials who work with the agency to house migrants seeking asylum.
Ruben Garcia, executive director of Annunciation House, told KVIA-News in El Paso, Texas, that local shelters are overwhelmed and may not be able to handle the influx of newly released migrants.
ICE officials told DailyMail.com that they couldn’t confirm estimates or provide a number for how many would be released from the El Paso region, as it will be dependent on the number turned over by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
‘The current volume of family units crossing the border – combined with limited transportation resources, time restrictions on families in government custody, and finite space at family residential centers – have all contributed to the current state of events,’ ICE officials said in a statement.
‘ICE is releasing families to (non-governmental organizations) that provide assistance with immediate basic needs such as temporary shelter, food, water, clothing and transportation services; however, many of these organizations are overwhelmed due to the ongoing influx of families at the border,’ officials added.
The development follows news earlier this week that the Trump administration will stop detaining immigrant families who cross the border illegally in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas because the volume has surpassed officials’ ability to safely keep them in jails.
Instead, starting this week, families in that region have been released on their own recognizance with a Notice to Appear in immigration court for deportation or asylum proceedings – a policy known as ‘catch-and-release,’ which Trump has vowed to end.
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