EL PASO, Texas — Federal law enforcement from Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement descended on a migrant encampment downtown Tuesday afternoon as part of an enforcement operation targeting immigrants who have been living on the street after evading arrest at the border crossing.
Dozens of federal agents and officers arrived outside Sacred Heart Church midday and walked in groups of six to eight people through alleys and streets where hundreds of makeshift tents line the walls and house immigrants unable to be sheltered by nonprofit groups that received federal funding.
TITLE 42 ENDING: POLICE TO SWEEP OUT 2,500 MIGRANT GOTAWAYS OVERTAKING EL PASO STREETS
Police approached people one on one with other law enforcement stood behind them. The groups of police made their way from a block north of the church five blocks southbound to the port of entry.
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTION UNDERWAY IN EL PASO
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) May 9, 2023
Federal agents and officers from ICE and Border Patrol are walking every alley and block in groups headed southbound checking papers for people living on the street. pic.twitter.com/iM5O9nVba8
The Washington Examiner was on-site at the start of the operation at 2 p.m. local time and followed federal police as they made their way through the streets. Local police remained on scene but stayed at the church and did not participate.
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One senior agent called out instructions to the groups over the radio system. Other ICE and Border Patrol personnel formed a perimeter around the space, remaining further outside the area to respond to anyone who tried to run.
The high number of immigrants that Border Patrol officials had told the Washington Examiner on Monday that it anticipated encountering the following day was far from reality as a result of actions taken overnight to encourage immigrants to surrender.