Anticipating a surge in border crossings amid cold temperatures, El Paso declares a state of emergency – By William Melhado (Texas Tribune) / Dec 17, 2022
With Title 42 ending next week, El Paso officials expect the number of migrants crossing the border could double. Declaring a state of emergency should open more options to provide migrants’ shelter from below freezing temperatures.
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El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser issued an emergency declaration Saturday night to address the surge in migrants crossing the southern border, citing the dangerous winter conditions and shelters lacking the capacity to meet the demand next week.
With the federal health order — known as Title 42, which was used during the COVID-19 pandemic to quickly expel migrants — set to expire on Wednesday, El Paso officials hope to leverage the emergency declaration to unlock additional resources and expand available shelters for migrants as evening temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing in the coming week.
Leeser said the influx of migrants has strained the city’s resources and his decision to make the declaration came as a response to protect those seeking asylum.
The declaration is in effect for seven days, after which the city council will decide to extend the order beyond Dec. 24.
CONTINUE > https://www.texastribune.org/2022/12/17/el-paso-migrants-title-42-emergency-order/
