7 months ago
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(NewsNation) — With January’s statesmanlike inauguration nearing, Texas authorities are bracing for a imaginable migrant surge and an expanding fig of unaccompanied children making the travel alone.
In Eagle Pass, Texas, migrant encounters are rising.
Over the weekend, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers encountered 116 migrants, including 11 children traveling unsocial — immoderate arsenic young arsenic 7 years old. These children often trust connected strangers oregon wage smugglers to usher them done cartel-controlled areas, adding utmost risks to their journey.
Texas DPS has reported a surge successful unaccompanied minors, with implicit 100 children arriving unsocial successful the archetypal fractional of October, galore marked with colored wristbands by cartels, signaling outgo for crossing done unsafe areas.
When these children brushwood authorities, they often person small much than a enactment with a "sponsor" address. Recently, a radical of unaccompanied minors was recovered with addresses to sponsors successful states similar New York, California, Colorado and Florida.
As of Nov. 1, determination were 6,100 unaccompanied children successful the attraction of the Department of Health and Human Services. The mean enactment per kid lasts astir 34 days and the section said it is focused connected reducing the enactment clip portion ensuring the child's safety.
As much children transverse alone, the surge is already a world successful Eagle Pass — adjacent earlier the predetermination results were known. Now, authorities are preparing for what could beryllium an adjacent bigger influx arsenic January’s inauguration approaches.
With the anticipated surge earlier January’s inauguration, Texas has ramped up information nether Operation Lone Star. In Brownsville and El Paso, National Guard soldiers, alongside section instrumentality enforcement, are moving intense, battle-ready drills.
Captain Daniel Mannon of Task Force East said these exercises support teams prepared for swift, coordinated enactment if ample groups arrive.
In Eagle Pass, National Guard soldiers from Texas and Louisiana are fortifying cardinal sections with razor ligament and expanding the borderline partition successful Cameron and Maverick Counties.
Officials judge these measures tin assistance negociate the surge, but the unit is building, and they’re staying connected precocious alert arsenic January draws closer.
