It’s Christmas Eve on the Texas Border. Hello? Hello?
'There was no room for them in the inn.”
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7
“As freezing temperatures from a coast-to-coast winter storm arrive in El Paso, Texas, some migrants who haven’t turned themselves in to border agents or officials after crossing the US-Mexico border are having a difficult time finding shelter. El Paso is in the midst of a declared state of emergency over thousands of migrants living in unsafe conditions.....” (1)
“’The city has opened government-run shelters at its convention center, hotels, and several unused schools, but is unable to accept migrants who don’t have documentation from Customs and Border Protection’, said El Paso city spokesperson Laura Cruz Acosta. The city must follow state and federal policies, which she said require migrants to have documentation in order to receive shelter at government-run facilities.” (1)
Documentation. Must. Have. Documentation. Uh-huh.
It’s cold. It’s Christmas. People are sleeping on the streets. (2) Hello? Hello?
So what’s El Paso doing? And what are the NGOs (non-governmental organizations) up to?
I cannot think of enough superlatives to describe the work of the city and the NGOs. Please see the city’s webpage for detailed information about their efforts. https://www.elpasotexas.gov/Migrant-Crisis
What’s the federal government doing?
It’s sending $7.38 million. (3)
Okay. That’s a start.
But are there any federal agencies on-site? What’s the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) up to? How about a federal call-up of the National Guard? Where’s the Department of Health and Human Services? (4) Or the Department of Homeland Security? Apart from personnel associated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), I’m finding absolutely no news stories about feds on the ground along the southern border. Hello?
One thing the feds are seemingly NOT doing is providing shelter. And they could. If only they wished. Hello?
“Over the last two weeks of August 2021 (i.e., during our ignominious withdrawal from Afghanistan), the U.S. Air Force...(airlifted) 120,000 people... After processing, many of the refugees were flown to eight military bases…” One such base was Fort Bliss. (5)
Ah, Fort Bliss, the largest army base in the United States.
It’s located in…..El Paso.
El Paso.
Hello? Hello?
So we can house Afghan refugees at Fort Bliss, but not people coming across from Mexico. Got it.
What’s the State of Texas doing? You might well ask.
“On Tuesday (December 20, 2022), the Texas National Guard began staging military vehicles and rolls of razor wire where migrants had previously waded across the low-flowing Rio Grande to claim asylum near Downtown.” (6) Hello?
“On Wednesday (December 21, 2022), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked the state’s attorney general to investigate nongovernmental organizations which he claims are helping migrants illegally cross the border near El Paso. In his letter, Abbott did not provide any evidence supporting his allegations…..” (7) Hello?
It’s Christmas Eve. People are suffering. And there’s no room at the inn.
Hello?
Sources:
(2) https://nypost.com › 2022 › 12 › 13 › hundreds-of-migrants-forced-to-sleep-on-streets-of-el-paso
(4) https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/uac-program-fact-sheet.pdf
(5) https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2022-12-23/military-bases-had-260m-in-damages-from-afghan-evacuation
(6) https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/immigration/2022/12/21/el-paso-migrants-episd-schools-civic-center-shelter-immigration/69747464007/
(7) https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/12/20/how-to-donate-items-volunteer-migrant-crisis-el-paso-immigration/69743585007/
Background:
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/12/24/el-paso-migrants-title-42/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/24/el-paso-us-mexico-border-migrants-crisis