El Paso migrant surge may see “a thousand by May per day” says Escobar in town hall
By: Julio-Cesar Chavez
KVIA.com
Mar 24, 2019
EL PASO, Texas – El Paso’s federal representative held her monthly town hall Saturday.
Escobar explained her priorities during those first days including DACA, the Affordable Care Act and raising the minimum wage–plus what she has planned for the next few months.
She also discussed the president’s national emergency declaration. Escobar claims that declaration could take millions away from Fort Bliss.
Escobar said she doesn’t expect migrant influx along our border to go down any time soon.
Representative Escobar said the thinks the current flow of migrants crossing the border will be the new normal, and we might even reach 1,000 migrants a day in May.
She explained a new processing center would help move people through the system faster but will take time to build.
Escobar explained she and Senator John Cornyn have been working with Customs and Border Protection.
The new center, paid for by $192 million in the 2019 budget, is supposed to steer away from the chain link fencing, cold temperatures, and thermal blankets that have been heavy sources of criticism for immigration agencies. It’s supposed to be built with families in mind, adjusting to a shifting immigration trend away from single working men.
Escobar said she hopes CBP can work with civilian organizations to lighten the load.
“I’m very proud of the way El Paso has responded, but I’m hoping with the Central Processing Center, as I mentioned to constituents in there, that they will collaborate with the non-profits. Any NGO that wants to do simultaneous community processing so that the burden on the community gets eased a little bit,” she said.
Escobar said the entire process could take up to to years but they are working to get the center developed as soon as possible.
The Rest…HERE
