The United States Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez held a press conference on May 9th to update the media on the situation at the border in Brownsville, Texas.
She reported that the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) had seen an increase in migrant encounters, but her team has set up an efficient operation called Camp Monument.
"We are building lawful pathways, and we are delivering consequences for those who do not use those meaningfully accessible pathways. We have a plan. We are executing on that plan," Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, said.
Since April 16th, the operation has screened and processed nearly 30,000 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. The operation's goal is to do intake processing, provide security to ensure everyone's safety and transportation to different locations, whether it be Border Patrol stations, central processing centers or ports of entry. Chavez praised the experienced and skilled workforce of the RGV Border Patrol for setting up the efficient operation in just three days. She also thanked her community stakeholders, including local law enforcement, federal partners, and the government of Mexico, for their support.
At the same press conference, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas spoke about his trip to Texas to review border operations and plan for the end of Title 42. He acknowledged that the situation at the border is challenging and difficult but praised the United States Border Patrol for their hard work in securing the borders. He stressed that the situation requires a community response and not just a government response. Mayorkas emphasized that the border challenge is not unique to the Southern Border of the United States and requires regional solutions. Three weeks ago, he met with Panamanian and Colombian partners to agree on surging enforcement operations to prevent individuals from entering the country illegally.
In conclusion, the press conference highlighted the challenges and efforts of the United States Border Patrol to secure the borders amidst an increase in migrant encounters. It also emphasized the importance of community response and regional solutions to address the situation. The government of Mexico was praised for its support in returning Venezuela nationals back to Mexico daily, as well as other sectors along the Southwest Border and around the nation. Mayorkas emphasized the need for a regional response to the border challenge and praised the extraordinary workforce of the United States Border Patrol for their hard work.
