El Paso mayor declares emergency over migrant surge

Oscar Leeser, the mayor of El Paso in the U.S. state of Texas, declared a state of emergency on Saturday evening following a surge in the number of migrants arriving in the community, CNN reported.

Leeser said the emergency declaration would give city authorities the resources and ability to shelter migrants who have crossed the Mexican border.

The move comes as El Paso, a Democratic stronghold with a history of welcoming immigrants, has struggled in recent months to deal with tens of thousands of migrants crossing the border with Mexico. The city is bracing for another possible jump in migrant arrivals after a U.S. judge ordered COVID-era border restrictions known as Title 42 to end by December 21.

U.S. border agents have encountered an average of more than 2,400 migrants per day in a 430-kilometer stretch of the border known as the El Paso Sector over the past week, according to figures published by the city, a 40 percent increase compared with October.

(Reuters)