Biden Admin Says Border is Closed — Migrant Releases in Texas Continue

EAGLE PASS, Texas — The Biden administration continues releasing migrants in the Texas border town of Eagle Pass. This is despite repeated claims by the administration that the border is “not open.”

Despite repeated social media messaging by President Biden’s Department of Homeland Security advising the public, “The U.S. border is not open to unlawful migration,” more than two hundred migrants unlawfully entered the United States in the border town of Eagle Pass by daybreak. Also, in contrast to the assertion, Customs and Border Protection-contracted buses continue to release migrants into the United States at a local non-government shelter.

The U.S. border is not open to unlawful migration: https://t.co/HriWcruv1H

La frontera de Estados Unidos no está abierta para inmigración ilegal: https://t.co/43eb9iWdUc pic.twitter.com/GWfh0fkkEk

— CBP (@CBP) August 26, 2023

Breitbart Texas posted along the Rio Grande in the early morning hours on Sunday and witnessed several groups of migrants crossing from Coahuila, Mexico, into the United States near the heart of Eagle Pass. Within hours, Breitbart captured video of migrant families being released by CBP officials to pursue asylum claims within the United States rather than facing the stern consequences posted in warnings on DHS/CBP social media.

The video (top of page) shows one bus arriving at the shelter to unload nearly 50 migrants — mostly families with small children. The FEMA-funded Mission Border Hope Shelter aids the migrants with temporary shelter and travel to the interior of the United States. Breitbart Texas observed the CBP-contracted bus arrive shortly after daybreak on Sunday. According to a source within CBP, not authorized to speak to the media, the buses release migrants daily, without exception, to ease overcrowding at a nearby migrant processing facility.

According to the CBP source, Eagle Pass leads the nation in the apprehension of large migrant groups. The agency classifies a large group as more than 100 migrants crossing in a single event. Just before daybreak, Border Patrol agents arrested one group of migrants numbering 158 north of the city. Breitbart Texas observed one group of nearly 30 migrants crossing the Rio Grande arm in arm to avoid drowning.

During the first three weeks of August, Del Rio Sector (which includes Eagle Pass) agents apprehended nearly 20,000 migrants, according to unofficial numbers received from a law enforcement source.

On Saturday, CBP released its latest social media post advising the public and the migrant community that the border is not open. The agency releases similar messages almost daily that highlight the consequences of illegal migration, warning, “Individuals and families who arrive will be subject to removal and non-citizens can be returned to their country of origin.” However, the practice of “catch and release” continues daily in Eagle Pass and other border communities.

Despite witnessing the migrant group crossings and the CBP migrant releases at the non-government shelter on Sunday, the social media messaging by CBP urges readers to ignore other sources of information, emphasizing, “Individuals should rely on official U.S. government information, not social media rumors or other unofficial sources.”

The CBP source tells Breitbart Texas there is an effort to conduct removals according to the messaging, but the resources dedicated to the effort are overwhelmed by the number of migrants crossing daily. “The migrants are crossing around the clock all across the southwest border; our removal operations for those who are not from Mexico cannot keep up,” the source explained. “It’s release them or deal with severe overcrowding at our facilities.”

By mid-day Sunday, flight tracking software showed no international ICE Air removal flights being operated. Three domestic flights were underway or completed by noon on Sunday. The repatriation flights are conducted by Swift Air LLC, part of the iAero group — a private company under contract to ICE to transport migrants within the United States and fly international repatriation flights.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.