The city of El Paso in Texas is facing a breaking point as thousands of refugees and migrants continue to cross the United States border from Mexico. On Saturday alone, nearly 9,000 people made the crossing, marking one of the highest rates of arrivals in recent months. This influx of asylum seekers, predominantly from Venezuela, Honduras, and Haiti, is part of a larger swell of migrants who have traveled dangerous routes on buses and cargo trains to Mexican border towns near El Paso, Eagle Pass in Texas, and San Diego in California. Many are searching for opportunities or escaping hunger, violence, or political turmoil in their home countries.

Mayor Oscar Leeser revealed that the city of El Paso is seeing over 2,000 people seeking asylum per day, a significant increase from the 350-400 individuals only six weeks ago. This surge has put a strain on resources and filled up shelters, with the city working alongside the US Border Patrol to provide shelter for 6,500 people in the past 10 days alone. Leeser expressed concern over the limited resources and stated that the city has reached a breaking point.

The situation has prompted the city of Eagle Pass to declare a state of emergency to manage the influx. Governors and mayors, particularly Democrats, are seeking more relief for hosting asylum seekers, while Republicans are seizing on the issue ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The Biden administration, which had seen a decrease in the number of people seeking asylum following the announcement of new restrictions in May, is now scrambling to address the recent surge.

In response to the overwhelming number of asylum seekers, El Paso plans to open a new shelter and has already chartered five buses to transport migrants to cities such as New York, Chicago, and Denver. Mayor Leeser clarified that all migrants on these buses are going voluntarily to the cities of their choice. However, criticism has been directed towards Republican governors in Texas and Florida for sending migrants to cities perceived as liberal.

Mayor Leeser acknowledged President Joe Biden as a good partner but emphasized that the overall US immigration system is broken. He highlighted that many migrants from Venezuela lack transportation to their desired destinations and that El Paso's current shelter capacity of 400 people must also cater to the homeless population. The mayor stressed the need to address the broken immigration system, stating that it is a repetitive problem.

The recent increase in migrant crossings has not only pushed El Paso to its limits but has also sparked political attacks on President Biden as the 2024 election approaches. The ongoing struggle to manage the influx of asylum seekers reflects the challenges faced by the Biden administration in addressing immigration issues at the US-Mexico border.