Migrants are Stranded and Sleeping in this Texas Airport

Migrants in El Paso International AirportScreenshot from New York Times

A month ago, this Texas city stopped its busing program sending migrants to New York City. El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser and the city is waiting to receive funds to reimburse them for sending migrants to the Big Apple.

The deputy director of the Opportunity Center, John Martin said they are seeing an increase in migrants.

Martin said:

“We're seeing bigger numbers more now than when we did 4 or 5 weeks ago than when we had the situation with the Venezuelans.”

This time the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the migrants are from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, and Nicaragua.

Since November 6, Border Patrol has released about 748 migrants at the downtown bus station in El Paso.

“On those same days that were involved, we received some walk-ins,”

"It’s not just the opportunity center that is full"

“We're getting to a very quick point where we have no place to send these people.”

Martin told KFOX14 that El Paso needs to be proactive rather than reactive as the crisis picks up again.

“If the shelters can't handle additional capacity, those people will be on the streets.”

Martin is asking the community for donations including jackets, blankets, clothes, and toiletries.

To make a donation, call (915) 577-0069 or drop them off at 1208 Myrtle Ave, El Paso, TX 79901.

Migrants hanging out at the Airport

On Monday, the New York Post reported that migrants were loitering in the El Paso International Airport.

City Council member Claudia Rodriguez said:

“Our airport right now is really bad. Some people are sleeping at the airport.”

“They’re {immigrants} being released there by the Border Patrol. Basically, they’re… handling it at this point.”

She said most El Paso residents were not aware of the situation.

About 130 migrants were sitting in the airport.

Aviation director Sam Rodriguez is the El Paso International Airport aviation director said the number of migrants at the airport is troubling.

He told the New York Post last week:

“We’ve certainly seen an increase of folks at the airport especially on the overnights here in the last couple of days. It’s a matter of the volume (that) continues to come through.”

El Paso immigrant advocate Ruben Garcia said:

“It’s all going to bottle up at the El Paso airport, and with the pandemic, the airlines reduced their capacity.”

As of Monday, even The El Paso Times has not covered this story.

What do you think about migrants sitting at the airport?