Border Patrol agents at the southern border have been caught on video cutting through razor wire and allowing migrants to enter the US. The incident occurred in Eagle Pass, Texas, where border crossings have surged to 8,000 a day, according to the Washington Office of Latin America. The video shows Border Patrol agents actively pulling away the razor wire and cutting it with bolt cutters before assisting a group of migrants, including women and children, to climb up an embankment. Texas Governor Greg Abbott had installed the razor wire as a deterrent, but it was recently cut by the agents, prompting him to deploy more National Guard troops to stop illegal crossings.
Eagle Pass has seen a recent influx of migrants, with over 7,500 people flooding into the town of 28,000 in just two days. The situation has overwhelmed the town, and Mayor Rolando Salinas declared an Emergency Declaration. However, the city does not have the resources to open a shelter for the migrants. Similar incidents have occurred, with a group of 100 migrants crossing the border in Piedras Negras, Mexico, by wading through waist-deep water and past Border Patrol boats. Concerns for the migrants’ welfare forced guards to cut through the razor wire and allow them through.
The actions of Border Patrol agents cutting through the razor wire have raised questions about border security and the Biden Administration’s handling of the border crisis. Governor Abbott criticized President Biden for having the wire taken down, which he believed opened the floodgates to illegal immigrants. The Biden Administration has failed to address the crisis effectively and has a lower rate of turning border-crossing migrants back into Mexico compared to the previous administration. The end of Title 42, which regulated border crossings due to COVID-19 precautions, has resulted in an average of 1,000 people being sent back across the border each month since May. In August, the Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, a 37% increase from July.
In response to the crisis, New York City officials announced that they would distribute flyers to migrants at the southern border, informing them that they will not be given free housing in the city. The city has already faced a shortage of space and has converted landmarks like The Roosevelt Hotel into emergency shelters. The efforts aim to discourage asylum seekers from coming to the city, which has been strained by the influx of migrants.