ICE dumping immigrants in border towns due to overcrowding at detention centers

EL PASO, Texas -- Faced with overcrowding at migrant shelters, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is dumping illegal immigrants in border towns, sometimes by the busloads. In El Paso, a Texas border town already taking in dozens of migrants a day, ICE said it may have to release 500 people a day to relieve the overcrowding situation at federal detention centers. “I’m concerned. We’re up to 2,300 per week. If we get up to 500 a day, it’s going to be very taxing,” said Mayor Dee Margo. EL PASO, Texas -- Faced with overcrowding at migrant shelters, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is dumping illegal immigrants in border towns, sometimes by the busloads. In El Paso, a Texas border town already taking in dozens of migrants a day, ICE said it may have to release 500 people a day to relieve the overcrowding situation at federal detention centers. “I’m concerned. We’re up to 2,300 per week. If we get up to 500 a day, it’s going to be very taxing,” said Mayor Dee Margo. After migrants are arrested by Customs and Border Protection and given a court date by immigration officials, they are released. Many of the immigrants don't stay in the border cities and instead often leave by bus or plane to meet friends, family members, or sponsors in different parts of the country. ICE has defended the practice, saying that a spike in border crossings is giving the agency few other options. “Due to the rising influx of family units crossing the border, NGOs have expressed they are over capacity and cannot accommodate all the family unit releases,” the agency said in a statement. The agency added that due to a decades-old court agreement called the Flores Settlement, it can only detain families for a limited period of time before eventually being forced to release them...MORE

For those interested, you can read the Flores Agreement here.