As a tidal wave of migrants overwhelms McAllen, Texas, border agents and local officials scramble to cope, exposing the devastating fallout of the Democrats’ disastrous border policies and sparking a desperate call for government intervention.
Overwhelmed by a massive wave of migrants seeking a better life in the United States, border agents in McAllen, Texas, find themselves in an increasingly dire situation, compelled to transform a public park into a makeshift community to accommodate nearly 1,000 migrants from Central America. The staggering figure of 11,026 migrants arriving in McAllen last week highlights the disastrous consequences of the Democrats’ border policies.
A grim milestone was reached in July when CBP recorded 212,672 migrants crossing into the United States, the first time in 21 years that the monthly count surpassed 200,000 individuals. Mayor Javier Villalobos of McAllen was forced to issue a disaster declaration in August 2021 as local officials struggled to manage the sheer volume of people attempting to enter America due to the deteriorating conditions in their home countries. The mayor was baffled by the abrupt escalation of the crisis.
Mayor Villalobos recounted, “The numbers went from 500 to 600 a day. Soon afterward, 1,000 a day. And then an excess of 1,500.” Now, CBP agents are directing migrants to a quarantine camp in Anzalduas Park, where they receive COVID-19 tests and await results in open-air tents.
Faced with an unprecedented population crisis, McAllen struggles to provide adequate housing for the relentless influx of migrants. The city has already placed around 1,000 migrants in temporary accommodations such as churches, charity-owned private buildings, and hotel rooms.
Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, expressed her concern to Mayor Villalobos, admitting, “I did not have enough rooms to place new families in isolation.”
Compounding the migrant population surge, Texas is grappling with a devastating COVID-19 outbreak, with dozens of state hospitals reaching full capacity in their intensive care units. The situation is predicted to worsen as more people disregard mask-wearing due to the governor’s mandate.
Mayor Villalobos initially downplayed the issue, believing it to be under control and unrelated to the increase in COVID cases within the community. However, as of mid-August, 14.8% of migrants released from CBP custody tested positive for COVID-19. He told the New York Times, “We can’t attribute the rise in COVID numbers to migrants.” The mayor explained that the problem escalated beyond control, leaving McAllen residents at risk of encountering wandering migrants.
With the McAllen crisis poised to worsen before any improvement, it is crucial for the government to intervene and provide assistance. The Democrats’ lack of decisive action has allowed this crisis to spiral out of control, jeopardizing the safety, health, and stability of both the migrants and the residents of McAllen. The time has come for the government to prioritize the well-being of its citizens and implement effective border control measures.
Source: AWM