Over a dozen illegal immigrants who were bound for expulsion and on their way out of the country broke out of a Border Patrol bus and made a run for it on Wednesday, according to Durango Ayala, the President of the National Border Patrol Council for the El Paso sector.
Ayala told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the group of 18 illegal immigrants from Venezuela escaped Border Patrol custody and are still unaccounted for in El Paso, Texas, as of Wednesday evening. The migrants reportedly broke out of the vehicle at the Stanton bridge commuter crossing by kicking open a bus hatch.
Ayala explained that only one agent, the driver of the bus, was accompanying the group at the time of their escape, which is a violation of Border Patrol policy.
Two Border Patrol agents, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed the immigrants’ recent escape to the DCNF.
An agent who works in the El Paso sector told the news outlet, “The never-ending disregard to enforce immigration law by the current administration is causing frustration throughout CBP [Customs and Border Protection]. Overcrowded detention facilities and limited transportation is a daily occurrence.”
“Migrants that are still arriving at the southern border from the original surge invitation by the president are becoming impatient with extended processing times and turning frustrations against CBP personnel,” the agent continued. “Damaging facilities, creating unrest and escaping while in custody are just a glimpse of what this president has allowed into our communities.”
The illegal migrants were in the process of being expelled from the country under the Trump administration’s Title 42, which allows the federal government to deport immigrants expeditiously. The Biden administration has plans to discontinue the policy in May.
In 2020, Customs and Border Protection launched a mobile app, CBP One, that provides immigrants access to immigration services, including booking appointments for entry interviews and requesting Title 42 exemptions. However, users have reported technical issues and glitches with the application.
In the fiscal year 2022, over 2.3 million immigrant encounters were reported at the southern border. So far, in the first five reported months of the fiscal year 2023, there have been over 1 million border encounters.
Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment, the DCNF reported.
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