This past Sunday, Texas law enforcement officials detained 154 migrants from nine different countries, including an unspecified number of Cubans, who crossed the United States-Mexico border illegally via the Rio Grande, according to authorities.
In a statement released on social media platform X, Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), reported, "DPS officers discovered a group of 154 undocumented immigrants from Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic who crossed the Rio Grande illegally between ports of entry near Eagle Pass."
Special Interest Migrants Identified
Among the group were six individuals from Afghanistan identified as "immigrants of special interest." The authorities have released photographs of these individuals. Additionally, the operation led to the rescue of 20 unaccompanied children, consisting of 15 boys and 5 girls, who were without any family or responsible adults.
Olivarez clarified that the group was handed over to the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) after they initially trespassed on federal or private lands without physical barriers, due to "lack of property owner consent."
Efforts to Curb Illegal Crossings
This detention is part of Texas's ongoing efforts to curb illegal migrant crossings in the border region under Operation Lone Star, a strategy initiated in 2021 by Governor Greg Abbott. The Republican governor has been vocal about blaming President Joe Biden's administration for the surge in illegal immigration at the Texas-Mexico border.
In September, the smallest number of Cuban arrivals for the fiscal year 2024 was recorded, with 9,315 Cubans entering the U.S., as per the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. Throughout the fiscal year, a total of 217,615 Cubans were processed by CBP, marking the second-highest number since 2021, surpassed only by the fiscal year 2022's record of 224,607 amidst Cuba's largest migratory exodus in history.
Trump's Immigration Plan
After winning the presidency for a second term, Donald Trump has reiterated his commitment to implementing a stringent immigration plan, which includes dismantling key programs facilitating Cuban entry into the U.S. Trump aims to terminate the humanitarian parole program currently benefiting citizens from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Haiti, along with the CBP One mobile app appointment system.
Just yesterday, the upcoming 47th president of the United States declared his intention to announce a national emergency and utilize military forces to execute his plan for mass deportations.